


Entering Skyrim - Calliope's Journal

by calumTraveler



Series: The Dragonbreak Puzzle [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Homestuck
Genre: Canon Game Antics, Diary/Journal, Gen, Modded Skyrim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-22
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-31 18:44:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 36,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3988684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calumTraveler/pseuds/calumTraveler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is CALLIE "CALLIOPE" OPHEE, and you really wish your brother had taken this fetch quest rather than give you a journal.</p><p>-- </p><p>A young elf girl becomes the Dovahkiin, and writes a journal about her experiences. Reposted from the Entering Skyrim website.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Recap is a Measly way to begin a Journal

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote Calliope's journal back when I first created the Entering Skyrim website (calskyrimjournal.wordpress.com) back in the summer of 2012. In the late winter of that year I would go on to create Dovah's Mind, featuring her brother, Caliborn. The idea was, "What if the Cherubs from Homestuck were born in Skyrim?" Naturally, they wouldn't be exactly the same, but keeping their character traits in mind, and then seeing how the story unfolded from there would be something challenging and new for me.
> 
> With some of my older projects coming to a close soon, I decided it was well and finally time to give Calliope's journal a proper ending. But first, I would need to remember where I had been, what had been done, and the best way for me to do that... is to repost everything here onto AO3 first. 
> 
> I'm not going to do much heavy editing to it, only where appropriate to make the transition from Blog to AO3 story. Otherwise, this story will be exactly as it was when I first posted it... old writing style and all.

~At the cross roads I currently face, I decided it was high time to use this journal of mine (thank you brother) for more than recording quests and marking the passage of time via the ‘rewind’ ability I’ve had since birth. (So many pages X’d out, it would make brother weep for the loss of the fine paper.)

To begin, I suppose it’s only fair to introduce myself should this journal fall into the hands of someone archaeologically inclined should I die in a wrong timeline. (I’m unsure if my little ‘ability’ even works in that way, but I’d like to keep the chances of it low.)

My name is Calliope, and that is all you need to know.

To make a long story short, I appear to be something called “Dragon born” according to Nordic legend, and “ **Dovahkiin”** by the Greybeards. My Father would be very amused to hear of this, considering that he was the very one to put me on this quest.

What quest?

Why it’s very simple: Retrieve an “incredibly shitty weapon” from a shop owner in Riften, located somewhere deep within Skyrim’s borders. This quest has already been achieved, but I find myself lingering. Surely this “Sord….” isn’t that desperately needed within my father’s collection just yet. After all, he had no clue where Riften was other than that it was somewhere in Skyrim.

To ease up on the details, he runs a ‘mystery shop’ of strange surface items, something clever and witty and very obviously a tourist trap to those in my local community, but we love him for it just the same. This “Sord” is just the latest in a long line of his acquisitions,  and holding the thing in my hands now I have to wonder just WHY anyone would even MAKE such a thing! It’s craftsmanship is dreadful and worry-some, I can barely hold it!

If I find a messenger, I’ll be mailing this thing back to him as soon as physically possible.

* * *

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I crossed the border into Skyrim as legally as one my age possibly could, but it seems the Empire has other definitions of ‘legality’ and had me arrested. I blacked out at some point, and found myself on a cart, traveling to a town called Helgen. Lovely place.

At least it was.

Apparently the Empire was sending the lot of us to execution, all so that the execution of one Ulfric Stormcloak could go unnoticed. Cowards. It’s possible I was put on the wrong cart by accident, but with the way my fate has been rolling lately, I cannot be sure.

While the rest of those on the cart were part of the Stormcloak rebellion, I and one other man were the odd balls out of the bunch. The Imperials had no clue what to do with me, being just a child. The man? He ran and was shot in the back with an arrow.

Cowards.

That…Tallius was it? Tullius? Regardless, the Good (General?) man decided that I was to be executed with the bunch.  They executed only one man, with I being the second in line.

What spared me, you ask dear reader? A dragon.

No, they are not mere fantasy. They are VERY real.  And they are VERY deadly.

Right before the ax fell, the Dragon landed on a rooftop and … well, I suppose it shouted! Funny, at the time I was thinking, ‘That’s a funny spell.’  It all makes sense now.

* * *

 

What happened next was a blur of confusion. A man in the cart with me, Ralof I believe his name was, lead me away into a  tower where we and the other escaped prisoners briefly plotted our escape. The imperials were too busy fighting the dragon to care about us at the moment. (“Why won’t it die?” I could hear them yelling.) The dragon soon turned its attention to our little tower, and we soon had to move. (The thing nearly fried me to death with the way it broke it’s snout into the tower.)

I will say this about the Stormcloaks whether my fate lie with them or not, they are resourceful.  Ralof and I stuck together through most of the subterranean passageways beneath Helgen, teaming up with other Stormcloaks several times to break our way through to the exit.

The Dragon nearly killed us several times despite our being hidden. If fate hadn’t gotten us out of the way in certain places…?

We’d have been crushed twice over, I’m sure.

Throughout the mayhem I’d forgotten about the spells I’d learned before embarking on our journey. Flames and Self–healing?  Instead I grabbed a spell tome and quickly adapted to the Sparks spell.

Somehow, though, we escaped Helgen just in time to witness the dragon leaving for the distant mountains. He told me about the Stormcloak rebellion, and invited me to join, something I’m going to have to consider in these troubled times.

Ironic, considering…

* * *

 

## Getting ahead again.

Sorry, I seem to digress quite a lot it seems. I never thought myself to be much of a writer or a speaker, yet here I am filling page after page with text! To resume the story, Ralof led me to a town called Riverwood where we could find shelter. The owner of the mill in that down heard of our escape of the dragon from Helgen, and tasked me to head to Whiterun to speak to the Jarl there about getting protection from any dragon invasions.

As it seemed a good idea to split up at this point, so as to not draw too much attention to ourselves during the cool down period of Helgen’s destruction, I took the job and went on my way, leaving Ralof behind for the time being. Although he did try to invite me to become a Stormcloak once more, I am not sure if that is what my destiny holds just yet, so I simply said that I would think upon it and left just before the sun began to set.

My race is naturally more inclined to thrive in the dark, and one of our naturally born abilities is to be allowed to see in the dark should we wish. The journey itself did not seem to take long however, and I approached Whiterun just around sunset, thus not even needing the ability to make the trip, much as I prefer not to use it. As I approached however, something…curious happened.

An explosion, high up in the air, caught my attention, forcing me to look up.  Then a voice could be heard yelling “space” distantly, then closer, and closer, until finally I saw this streak of light falling from the sky. It quickly impacted somewhere near a tower, and I went to investigate.

The object that fell from the sky was this curious metal sphere with a yellow eye. It calls it self “The Space Core” although my feeble knowledge of lore would describe it more as a piece of Dwemer technology. It’s quite an intriguing object, for sure. Always jabbering on about “Space” and “Portals” and “Moon rocks.” None of which makes *ANY* sense to me at all. He’s quite an amusing fellow to have with me on my adventures. If I need a good laugh, I just pull him out and listen to his jabbering.

Back to the tale at hand, this Sphere had crashed into an abandoned house, landing smack dab in the middle of the fireplace. The poor thing was covered in soot from landing, I believe. But before I could do anything to help the poor fellow, a rascally bandit appeared! She was trying to rob me for all my gold. I’m guessing she saw Space fall from above as well, and came to investigate. Just an unfortunate coincidence I assume.

She really made the first mistake even approaching me, let alone trying to rob me. Let us just say that her armor is now the best that I own and that she won’t be making that mistake again.  
  


* * *

 

## Whiterun

Whiterun is a rather large town, surrounded on all sides by mighty walls and heavily guarded doors. Not everyone is allowed in Whiterun, Redguards for example, especially when dragons are about. Upon arriving, I had to tell the sentry that Riverwood required the Jarl’s aid before he would let me into the town. Whiterun operates more like a fortress in this respect. People of all kinds can be found in the city, although some are prohibited from entering as previously mentioned.

The Jarl of Whiterun I know little about, and have spoken to him only twice thus far to my recollection. He sits on his throne and listens to the people’s plights. I believe his name to be… Balgruuf? But I am not certain of that. His… housecarl (pardon me but I am still unfamiliar with the term) Irileth briefly stopped me from speaking to him, but upon mentioning that I was told to speak to the Jarl directly he summoned me directly.

When I explained that Helgen had been destroyed by a Dragon (My…arrival not withstanding) he directed me to his court wizard Farengar, who wanted me to obtain the Dragonstone (a map of dragon burial sites) from Bleak Falls Barrow, a set of ruins somewhere near Riverwood.

Bleak Falls Barrow is high up on the top of a mountain, and appears to me to be similar to Dragonsreach in original use at least. Dragons. What is up with them? Always meddling and fussing. Fussing and meddling. Doesn’t make any sense to me at all…Although I am having some glimmers of insight from the…More recent events I’ve gone through. Alduin? Why did I suddenly remember that name?

I appear to be getting ahead of myself again. Sorry.

Bleak Falls Barrow is certainly a ‘popular’ tourist attraction. I say ‘popular’ because on the same day that I approached the structure, a gaggle of bandits decided to raid the place as well. Apparently, thanks to my accidentally overhearing their conversation, one of their own had stolen this “Golden Claw” from a shop-keeper in Riverwood and had fled deep into the structure.

Of course, their merry band wasn’t small, but instead was rather large. Seven bandits outside alone; Four (Five if you count one slain by a skeever?) more inside. Eleven altogether. It was an annoying task. None of them would listen to reason, and would attack without warning. Perhaps my approaching from behind was a bad idea? But if so, someone should have marked the road signs better.

The Claw bandit’s name was “Arvel the Swift,” due to his… Rather impressive speed at running away. In fact, at the time in this ‘time line’ that I’d met him only two things had ever caught him- A wounded spider who trapped him in his web, and I myself upon his sudden ‘escape’ from my ‘rescue.’

I had to slay him. Twice. Due to my rewind’s ‘life save’ quirk, I was thrown back to just before I’d rescued him after a Draugr caught me. This time around I was not so kind enough to let him escape, and when I cut him down, I made sure to aim attacks at him. It may sound like the kind of brutish thing that my brother may have done, but the fate that awaited him beyond those halls was far worse than my ax.

Draugrs. And traps.

I myself fell victim to both in previous iterations. The first due to surprise, the second…Due to not even seeing the blasted plate on the floor. Oh I SAW the swinging spike plate alright, but the plate?

I shudder at the memory, faded as it is by now.

Regardless, I pried Arvel’s journal and the golden claw away from his body, and proceeded through the dungeon. The Draugrs that came one at a time I was able to defeat by blasting them at a distance and then waiting for my magic to replenish. But two at a time?

I died several times on that one particular stairwell, and it makes me wonder about how this ability works more and more. I was trained to see it mentally as a sort of Folder menu, but that makes me wonder about the time lines I leave behind. The brief moments in between a death and a return to the past are slightly longer than the usual ‘rewinds’, almost as if my whole spirit is ejected backwards. Do I over-write my past self entirely?

And even then, what about the times that I intentionally switch between points of view, riding a time line out and then resetting to the past before returning to the future again only to return to the past? Is it only mental? Am I really traveling back? I think it has to be the former. A…Minds eye of sorts. I think that makes more sense than myself actually traveling through time. But even then, how far does the realm go? How am I not to know that my entire life thus far was not dreamed up by my childish (even more so) past self for the sake of entertainment?

…I think it be best not to dwell on it, but this type of question weighs heavy on me with the decision before me at the moment.

However things go, I managed to complete the quest assigned to me, and I found the Dragonstone…Along with a curious…power. A wall glowed and *chanted* when I approached it. Three words stuck out like a golden claw in a pawn shop. I knew not at the time what the words meant, but the first two are “Fus Ro”, but I only learned that after…. after a very incredible feat.

 


	2. From Mirmulnir to Riften - And everywhere inbetween.

Upon returning to Whiterun and giving the Dragonstone to the good man who sent me on my way, Irileth approached along with a guard and dragged me to the Jarl, where the Guard proceeded to inform both of us that a Dragon- Mirmulnir was his name- was attacking the Western Watchtower, near where I had originally found Space. The Jarl tasked Irileth and I to fight the dragon, and together with an accompaniment of guards armed with bows and swords, we left for the tower.

It was the dead of night when we arrived, and the tower was destroyed, although much of it stood remaining. At first Mirmulnir was nowhere to be seen. But then… When we entered the tower, one of the surviving guards warned us that it was still about- Hiding. Moments later, the dragon descended from above and began breathing fire at us. I can hardly believe it myself, but we survived with only minimal casualties.

But only just barely.

Most of the time, I stayed within the tower’s confines, shooting arrows as best as I meagerly could at the flying attacker. Once we managed to get it grounded, having shot its wings full of arrows, the real fight began.

In earnest, the dragon attacked with its fire breath and for a short while, I lost sight of everyone else. A moment of panic came over me. I was the only one left. But I realized that, much like before in the dungeon, my rewind ability would most likely send me back to before the fight. But I didn’t want to risk it. I made a mental note of the time frame’s exact moment, and then I began my attack.

The dragon, grounded as it was, was directly outside the exit/entrance to the ruined tower. I was directly inside that door frame’s protection…Then I leaned out and fired an arrow. Mirmulnir took a moment to react, but when it did, he fired fire at me. I ducked for cover, and waited it out. Then I repeated the process. We traded blows for a long while just like that. And then he began to change his tune. He’d wait for me to duck out of cover to fire at me.

In the end, I was hit twice, and I only barely managed to fire off that last arrow.

I could feel the rewind ability powering up, as if I were about to keel over any moment.

Then the impossible happened.

The dragon’s corpse began to burn up. It’s skin and flesh and muscle burning away as it’s life force…Drained out of it and into me.

I had no clue what was happening, but the only thing I did know was that my rewind began to power down, and I felt…somewhat restored. I stood there for a moment, almost dazed as I felt…something dwelling within my own memories. Something that wasn’t mine. Memories of the dragon that I had just killed. His name and one of the words from the wall suddenly made sense. Mirmulnir was his name, and the first word was “Fus” Or “Force.”

* * *

 

As it turned out, most of the guards, including Irileth, survived to see the little ‘show.’ The guards were whispering among themselves. “Dragonborn.” They approached me, and inquired as to what happened. I truthfully had no clue at the time. But they explained of Nordic legends and rituals and such…

Only a Dragonborn could kill a dragon by absorbing its soul.

Irileth didn’t believe it much, being a Dunmer and not following their beliefs, and I myself found it hard to believe… But the guards insisted that if I truly was a Dragonborn, then I could Shout just like a Dragon. I honestly had no clue what to say, put on the spot like that…But Mirmulnir’s memories of that first word…

“Fus.”

I’d barely even said it. But it was loud enough to cause everyone (Myself included) to stammer backwards from the sudden force that pushed against all of us (Myself from the recoil, the guards from being the ones that I was facing at the time).

It was true. I was something called “Dragonborn.”

Irileth directed me to head back to Whiterun so I could inform the Jarl of the events that had transpired, that dragons could be Killed, and I gladly took my leave.

But looking back on this “dragonborn” business, it’s quite possible that the reason Dragons cannot be killed by anyone but another dragon(born), is that they can rewind time upon death by any normal mortal? My ability was not well known among my village, and those that did know of it were those who were wise beyond their years or a part of my family.

I don’t know if this is true or not…. But it makes sense in context. If I was always destined to be a ‘dragonborn’, then perhaps this ability was always there? If I remember correctly, anyone can learn how to ‘shout’ with practice. (Ulfric was said to ‘know the ways of the voice.’) So my rewind ability may be able to be similarly learned, explaining how others in my village knew it.

Regardless, I must move on. There is still a little bit of this adventure to tell before I am caught up to current.

It was around this point that I realized that just after the dragon had died, The sun had risen, thus explaining why my wounds were healing slower. I was still mostly in shock up until this moment, How long had that fight actually taken? I wondered, but I realized that I had no clue.

As I approached Whiterun, A voice could be heard, echoing throughout the land:  **“DOVAHKIIN.”**

The Greybeards were summoning me to High Hrothgar, but at the time, I had no clue that this was what was actually happening. I entered Whiterun as quietly as I could, which wasn’t very much effort considering that a guard was kicking two Redguards out. The duo were merely looking for a friend of theirs who was supposedly in the city… Now that I think about it I may have seen who they were looking for, but I’m not that desperate for money.

As I worked my way back to Dragonsreach, people would either offhandedly comment that I looked sick and that I might have a disease (Such an annoying tick. My young, child’s blood should naturally keep me from catching any such ailment) or blindly asking if it was true that I had killed a dragon and was Dragonborn. But naturally, neither put two and two together to make four- I’d just come from fighting a DRAGON. Of course I would look tired and/or sick!

And it was exactly around this point that I realized that I had been up for several Days Straight without a hint of sleep! One of the first things I was going to do after informing the Jarl of the dragon’s demise was find an inn and get some rest. Among other rumors in town beyond the Dragons was that a man calling himself “The Master of Space and Time” or something like that was staying at Dragonsreach for the foreseeable future.

The rumors surrounding this man included that he sold spells that would let you freeze time, or become able to throw someone away with a single flick of a finger. My tired brain at this point made a note to find this “master” and see what spells he had to offer, if any. Finally, arriving in Dragonsreach, I informed Whiterun’s Jarl of the tower’s destruction and the dragon’s demise.

He made me a Thane for my actions, and…What does this job entail exactly? I’m not quite sure. But in any case, I could not find this “master” on my visit, and decided to hunt around for a carriage to complete the main task my father had given me- Getting to Riften to find this “Sord…” of his.

## Seven Thousand Steps

After hanging around Whiterun long enough to gather supplies, I finally left without seeking an Inn. At this point, my sleep addled brain really had no intention of falling to sleep despite my body’s protests. There was something… invigorating about absorbing a Dragon’s soul. And so I took off on foot down the road, following the sights pointing to Riften and Ivarstead, the latter of which is closer to High Hrothgar, at the base of the mountain it rests upon actually.

Traveling to the top took a long time, a better part of the rest of the day and a whole night. During which time I used an Ax to fend off several wolves that seemed to want a taste of dragon soul. I passed a bridge ‘guarded’ by bandits who wanted me to pay a tax for crossing the bridge (Which I Did not want to do). Against my better judgement, I believe I tried intimidating them, and then fled the scene once I took down two of them leaving only an archer behind.

Furthermore, I ran into those Redguards that had been thrown out of Whiterun before. They were harassing another Redguard woman (whom one believed to be the one they were looking for) who turned out to not be the one they were looking for (something about a missing scar). I have a dreadful feeling about these two Redguards. Fate would not throw them in my path twice for no good reason.

At several points, I resorted to my rewind ability to mark forks in my path, in case I happened to take a wrong turn down the wrong road. In one peculiar instance, a ‘nord’ (who I believe to have been another bandit) rushed out of nowhere to attack me for simply walking the path. I had to rewind from that point in order to save myself from death.

Eventually, after an evening’s journey, I reached Ivarstead from behind, having swum across a small lake at it’s narrowest point to reach it. I’ll have to thank my brother for the compass and map set (if albeit somewhat outdated. The map doesn’t even have any visible roads marked on it!) he loaned me the next time I see him. Reaching this village would have been impossible without it.

* * *

 

I Soon began climbing the mountain apparently called “The Throat of the World”, heeding the advice of nearby travelers or villagers who claimed that there were wolves about. Somehow I had wasted a whole day from the dragon’s slaying and my summons to my arrival at this point, and I’m not sure where the time went due to my somewhat sopor’d state.

Seven Thousand Steps.

I believe it from what I remember of the trip.

Wolves weren’t the only danger on that mountain, however, although they were the primary threat. An Ice Troll lay in wait near the tower, and if I had not out ran it after it had killed me and forced me to rewind back down to the bottom of the mountain once again I most certainly would not have made it the third time (of the second, I had a sleep deprived moment of stupidity that made me want to test it’s skills). This ability has it’s appeals some times, but in the state I was in, I barely remember anything else of the journey.

Eventually, I entered the temple tower thing (I can barely remember what it looked like now) and met the Greybeards. Apparently with their ancient ways of the voice, only one of them had the discipline to speak in a common language without using the dragon shouts unintentionally. That man, Arngeir, instructed me to try my “voice” on several magic targets before he brought me outside and had another Greybeard show me a “Whirlwind Sprint” Shout.

It does exactly what the name implies.

After I learned it, the Greybeards instructed me to go to a tomb and retrieve a horn. The tomb, coincidentally, was far on the other side of Skyrim. No way I was traveling there on foot. So as soon as physically possible, I descended the mountain and found a cart…

I bought passage to Riften.

* * *

 

Taking the cart to Riften was easy enough. But getting in- And subsequently OUT- would be a bit of a challenge. Mostly the “in” part. You see, they have a “Visitors tax” which is complete hogwash! 107 gold coins? Highway robbery! But, in the state I was in at the moment, I could have cared less. I called the guard on it, but paid the ‘tax’ regardless.

Riften is not what I expected. It is a wretched Hive of scum and villainy. Apparently a “thieves guild” resides here, and is in charge, despite there being a Jarl. A woman nearby when I entered was complaining of the corruption, and before I could get any further from there, a man accosted me and tried to warn me of…something. I wasn’t really paying attention at the moment.

I was more focused on recalling my fathers instructions for recovering the “Sord…”, something about town square? I shrugged the man off, barely making note of his promise to be at the docks later for future avoidance, and walked past conversation after conversation, and men and women alike trying to haggle me into different ‘odd jobs’ (One of which was outright thievery! The man should be ashamed of himself asking a child to do his dirty work!) I finally found the town square and met the woman in charge of the stall that my father had said sold the “Sord…” (And is it EVER shitty. As previously noted, I can barely hold the thing in my hands.) and, much to my surprise, she had a hammer for me as well. A “gift from my father” apparently for getting all this way here.

This Hammer, “Pogo hammer” as the Price tag (This thing is VALUABLE! And I got it for free?) states, is your average hammer, made out of a metal I’ve never encountered before… With a green slimer ghost on the top. This little character makes this weapon look absolutely GOOFY! But… Is it ever powerful.

Why, you ask? The Springs. This hammer’s ends are simply blocks of metal attached to the main head with *SPRINGS.* Springs I tell you! This thing can send a vampire flying into the distance with just one hit! (Trust me on this one. I’m not making it up.) But putting this aside, I absconded from Riften as soon as possible and consulted my map for the location of the tomb. A town called…Morthal I believe it’s spelled was the closest any carriage ride would take me to my destination.  
(I wound up passing through Riverwood on the way, and so I returned the golden claw to the shop owner at the same time. Sorry for writing this in the margin, but I completely forgot about it until this moment.)  
And so I left on my way. Morthal is a long ways away from Riften, so this time I managed to get some sleep on the carriage ride there. When I arrived in Morthal it wasn’t a moment too soon. Could you believe my luck? As soon as I arrived, a Bloody FROST DRAGON attacked. *TWICE.* And no, I do not mean in rewind. I and several guards men managed to shoo the dragon away with our arrows once. And after -maybe- a minute’s reprieve, the Dragon returned to finish the job.  
  


* * *

## Frost Breath

The Dragon obviously had me as a target this time around. It fired more of it’s ice breath at me, and I barely dodged it. Soon enough though, the dragon decided it had enough of our arrows and fled the scene, again, but not without taking one last icy shout at me. The ice is still on the ground from those attacks. After the, I decided to head to the nearest inn and rented a room for the night, after which I promptly fell into the bed and fell asleep.

It was morning when I woke up again, and I headed out into town to see about finding some health potions to buy. I didn’t find anything right away, but I did run into a burned down house. The Guards who passed by were afraid of it being cursed and would not go anywhere near it. So I asked the inn keeper. Apparently there had been a fire, a man’s family had burned dead, with him as the only survivor. Many in the town thought he had set the fire himself.

At the moment, I’m not sure what to believe, considering the things I’ve seen since that moment. I spoke to the Jarl, and offered my aid in investigating the event. The daughter, Helgi I believe her name was (it was hard to understand her, as if her voice were muffled by something), was floating around the ruins of the house, now a ghost. The poor girl. She said that it had been hot, and then suddenly cold. She wouldn’t tell me more, saying only that “She” was near. Then she asked if we could play a game of hide and seek, and if I found her after the sun had set, she would tell me about what happened.

I agreed, out of a sense of comradeship with a fellow child, even if she were a ghost now, and then she vanished. So I went back to the inn, paid for extra time on my room, and slept some more. I woke up sometime after dark, and explored around town. I must have looked like a fool to anyone still up. Wandering around while calling out “Come out come out where-ever you are” like I was playing a game (Which I was).

It was as I began to venture outside the town that I found something…Peculiar. A woman standing over a coffin. At that distance I couldn’t tell what size the object was, half buried in the dirt as it was as if it had fallen from the sky. As I approached, the woman turned around… And by the moons and sun, she was a VAMPIRE. I Quickly began backing away as fast as I could, but she was fast. Very fast. By sheer luck I had the Pogo-Hammer on hand, and I struck out at her.

As serious as the situation was, I actually LAUGHED at the sound the weapon made as I continued to run back into town. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no clue where Helgi’s ghost was hiding, so I entered the inn and told the keeper that I had seen her ghost. (And it hit me just now that I should have done this BEFORE returning to bed that morning.) The keeper suggested that I speak to the Jarl about it, but due to the late hour, I didn’t want to disturb them.

* * *

 

I’ll admit that my next string of actions would be considered hypocritical by my brother. I’d often times not wanted to use my rewind ability for my own gain during our even younger years, and yet… I stood outside the Jarl’s house, and I marked the time and place that very evening in my memory before I returned to the inn and went back to sleep until morning. Consider it cheating or not, I returned to the Jarl and asked where Helgi’s ghost may have been hiding.

The Jarl said that the girl may have been hiding in her own grave, Just behind her own house…Which was where I encountered the Vampire. Cue my face meeting both of my palms. Immediately I rewound to that moment the night before and stormed back out to the back of the town. As I exited, I passed a man asking about the whereabouts of his wife. I had no clue sadly, and moved on to approach the vampire. With a smug sort of indifference, I used my hammer to send the Vampire flying out into the nearby rock cluster, while I went to investigate the coffin.

Child sized. And Helgi was inside. She was telling me, in that same muffled voice from before, “get rid of Laylet! Don’t let her find me!” or something to that degree, it was hard to tell, to be honest. But if this “Laylet” was doing something…Vampire like to the girl’s corpse, then of course even if she was over in the rocks a good distance away she would have a hold on her. So I went to the rocks to find “Laylet” and I began my attack. A quick burst of fire and a slash from my ax finished the job.

I investigated the coffin, and Helgi began to tell me something, but I couldn’t hear it as the man from before approached and discovered that “Laylet” was dead- and also a vampire. His exclamations were so loud that I missed what Helgi said, the poor thing, and by the time he was gone, so was the girl’s ghost. With a sigh, I rewound and hurried faster, ignoring the man entirely as I raced to the scene of battle.

A Burst of fire and my ax finished the poor vampire off before she had a chance to even cast a spell on me or use her sword. I ignored her falling body and immediately went to talk to Helgi. This time I managed to pick up on the fact that *someone* (whose name I could not hear) had ‘kissed her on the neck’ and the fire suddenly didn’t hurt any more. There was only ‘cold.’ By the dragons themselves- She was a VAMPIRE! The Fire wasn’t an accident at all. It was to cover up this vampire presence in the town!

Before I could ask her to clarify, the man from before appeared, and discovered his wife yet again. This time, I managed to interrogate him on the happenings surrounding his wife’s disappearance. He told me that they all had thought she had joined the stormcloaks, but obviously this was not true. Also, he said that his wife had been hanging out with an “Alva” or “Ava” in the week before she disappeared, and had been supposed to meet her on the day she disappeared, but Alva said she Didn’t meet her.

* * *

The facts began to fit together to me, especially when he mentioned that Laylet had HATED Alva just before they started hanging out. So I cautiously ventured. “What if they did meet?” He had an adverse reaction to that. “Surely you don’t think she’s a vampire!?” I sadly had to say that it was a possibility we could not ignore.

And so Now I stand outside the Jarl’s hut with a moral dilemma. The man who survived his family’s death was now LIVING with Ava/Alva, and if Ava/Alva was responsible for his family’s death by turning them into vampires…! The Problem I face now is that I have no proof- The only ones who could have testified to the Jarl are dead now, and the husband of Laylet refuses to believe me about Alva’s vampirism.

Loathe as I am to admit it, the man in Riften who tried to get me steal for him was partially in the right. The only option I have now is to break INTO Alva’s house and find some sort of proof of her vampirism. But Alva is out and about at night, while her ‘live in’ stays in, and the inverse is true during the day. I’ve already attempted the break-in in an offshoot and that Lock is beyond my meager skills, furthermore, the guards were upon me almost instantly.

I know I have the right to do this by sake of the Jarl asking me to investigate, but it just feels WRONG. I am not a thief! I am not a criminal! But what else am I to do? This is the only option I have left. I have an idea though. The Master of “Time and Space” back in Whiterun. If I can get enough coin to buy his time freezing spell, should he even actually EXIST, then Perhaps I can freeze time long enough to pick the lock and enter the house.

I realize how hypocritical that sentence must read if you are reading this, Brother; especially when you remember all the times that I’ve turned down your own demands to use my ability for your own good… If you were here you most certainly would have no problems with this ‘quest’ what so ever.

But if you’ve made it thus far, I’ve caught up to my current life with this journal. I have a lot thinking to do. Hm… there was a bounty reward poster I saw a little while ago. I might investigate that… But I’m afraid to leave this town unguarded. What if the dragon returns? What if Alva steps up her plans? I need to work this out as soon as possible.


	3. Assassination Attempts - a Novel by the Redguard and Dark Brotherhood

I sit now in an inn in Whiterun. The Bantered Mare? Battered? I’m not quite sure and I don’t quite want to get up and check right now. At the moment, I’ve just returned from eating a very nice meal and now sit on a bench near the fire as I write.

I decided to follow up on that bounty note, and left for …Rorickstead? Orickstead? I’m not certain of the spelling or enunciation at the moment. As I headed out on my way, I passed the daughter of the Jarl, who asked me, if I was heading to Whiterun, to deliver a note to Danica Pure-Spring at the Temple of Kynareth in Whiterun. I accepted as I had no clue if I would pass by Whiterun or not on my way.

As I left town I spoke to the local cart’s driver and asked him for a map book of the cart lines, as I moved on however, I passed a wandering group of bodyguards and their charge facing a group of small frostbite spiders. I lent them my aid, and over heard them talking of a wedding of some sort that they were headed to. Solitude I believe. If I ever make my way there, I’ll have to see about that.

The Journey I took was long and out of my way, as I was relying on my father’s compass, which I now suspect to have been enchanted with a clairvoyance charm, I ended up climbing the mountains for my most direct path. In the end, I ran into a bear. The poor thing went sailing into the air with one hit from my Pogo hammer. I do apologize mister bear! I meant you no harm!

As I continued, several Mudcrabs (Horrible creatures) attacked me. One hit from the hammer was all that was needed to dispatch them. (Incredibly, if struck from above, the springs from the hammer force the poor recipient into the ground, dealing a double strike from above and below.) I also passed a bandit hideout, though I wisely stayed away.

As night fell, several bandits from that camp, I suspect, followed me out and tried to rob me. My hammer and ax finished the job. Also, my healing spell is getting more use recently. It’s quite an aid. Although…Not quite so against an assassin. Apparently someone’s put a hit out on me via the Dark Brotherhood. I found the note in the man’s pockets after I’d flung him into the distance and then finished him off once I’d had a chance to heal.

I Don’t have a clue as to who could want me dead. Apparently failure was not an option for the poor assassin, as the note noted. As it turns out, it was. I continued on my way, and was harassed by many wolves on my travels. The poor things. Why do they seek the taste of Dragonborn so much? I feel sorry for the things.

Eventually, I consulted my map, and I found myself near Whiterun again, nowhere near the town I’d originally headed out for. Quite a pain, but I decided it was not for waste, and switched tasks to delivering the note as promised. I quickly found the temple, and gave the note to its recipient. We began talking, and somehow I found myself tasked with the restoration of the tree in Whiterun’s center! However, after a night and a day’s journey, I located the inn and decided to sleep until morning, so that I could sell some of the junk that I’d collected on my travels.

In the morning, I did as such, and then moved on to Dragonsreach, intending to find this “Master” Of time and space. And find him I did! He sold me a spell tome, one Clairvoyance, and as I moved to leave, I found a spell tome lying around- Something innocuously named “Get Over Here.” Nobody seemed to want it, so I took it.

As I moved to leave Whiterun, I gave the Clairvoyance spell a try. I have to continually cast it in order to get a continuous path. But a mere fraction of a second was enough to lead me straight into my next quest- Fetching the family sword of a man who had lost it to a pack of bandits…A Pack of bandits who now controlled that bridge that I had passed by before on my way to High Hrothgar.

As it turns out, it wasn’t a bridge they were asking for toll money, but a ‘way station’ where they charged travelers for use of the roads. Why if I’d known that sooner, I would have come back sooner. But alas, things worked out fine for me this way. I decided to use my Dragon Shout, Fus Ro, for practice, along with the odd “Get Over Here” Spell. By the decaying moons, I don’t think I could have survived if I hadn’t had that spell. It is- in essence- a gravity pull spell.

By which I mean, the targets the spell hits are PULLED directly to me. Well…Directly to meet my Ax anyways. I managed to pull two of them away from their posts before they managed to alert their leader, giving me all the time I needed to sneak across the bridge to their little hide out and then ambush the last two bandits at the bottom of their stairs. I Fus Ro’d them to surprise them, and then dragged them both down the stairs with the spell where I was easily able to pick off the chief.

The other man? Died falling down the stairs. I don’t think I even hit him with my ax once! Needless to say, I searched every room and every dresser and chest before I found that sword. I was loaded down with books by the time I finished, but I did manage to find several minor health potions to heal me should I need them.

I sold the books this morning, and went to meet the Master again, this time buying an Ice spell off of him. I’m not quite sure what it does yet, but It should be helpful in future battles. And so after having eaten…Breakfast I suppose, I sat down and wrote these last few entries. I’m not sure where I’m going to go next, but I believe that I’ll see about finding that bounty target next. It irks me that he’s avoided my grasp so far…

* * *

 

## In Time of Need

As I finished that last entry, the cook spoke to me, asking what I wanted to eat. It was at this point that I realized she was a Redguard, and so I causally mentioned, out of sheer curiosity, that there were men looking for her. She then asked me to speak in private.

After following her past the kitchen, she threatened me with a knife, and explained that Assassins were after her for some unknown reason. She offered to pay me coin for my work, and sent me out to find a captured prisoner, an Alik’r Redguard (clearing up the confusion of why there WERE Redguards in the city. A very confusing point for me.) to ask him for the whereabouts of one Kematu who was the leader of the so-called assassins. One hundred coin for bail later, and I found the location- Somewhere out near where I had been looking before for the bounty target, but that slipped my mind until just now.

So I left to find this cave where he was hiding out, passing by Whiterun’s western watch tower….

Which was under siege by a dragon…again.

This time the difference was that the dragon had somehow gotten into a brawl with a giant, and both were dueling it out for…whatever reason it is dragons and giants fight for. It honestly made no sense to me. But I waited to watch the fight, actually somewhat eager to face the victor.

In three out of four time lines, I lost to the giant every time, and never got a chance to absorb the dragon’s soul.

Doing such proved to be a bit more of a harder task than I imagined. Once the dragon had died, I sneaked over the hills trying to avoid the Giant’s sights. Once I’d absorbed it’s soul, I also raided it for remaining scales and bones…Why confounds me to this moment. In the end, I wound up carrying too much to be able to run, and so as to get out of there as fast as I could, I used the whirlwind run shout repeatedly to get back to Whiterun, where, incidentally, I passed a caravan selling and buying goods. I sold off one bone and scale each, which lightened me up enough to be able to get into the city.

Or would have anyways if a guard hadn’t stopped me to say that citizens had been concerned by my repeated shouting. I promised him it wouldn’t happen again. How annoying. He might have sung a different tune if I’d mentioned there had been a dragon about.

It was raining by this point, and all I wanted to do was get a good night’s rest. So I returned to the inn, and then slept ’til morning, where I set out again. No dragons this time, though I had a most peculiar dream. Possibly from that ice dragon’s memories.

I set out as soon as I could, and, using my new Clairvoyance spell, managed to track my way down to the Bandit’s hideout. There was a guard posted, but he soon went flying off behind me when I over powered the “Get over here” Spell. Whoops. Entering the cave, I found myself accosted with bandit after bandit until finally I found this Kematu character. I was prepared to fight him when he suddenly asked for a momentary truce.

He explained that the woman that had ‘hired’ me to come here had betrayed his own people to the Aldmeri Dominion! No wonder she was so wanted. The very thought of the people (I’ve done my research) has always made my blood boil with the rage of a dragon’s fire… And now I know why.

We agreed to lay a trap at the Whiterun stables. I was to lead the traitor out of the city somehow, and he was to arrest her. So I did. My heart was pounding the whole time, but eventually she was captured with a paralyzing spell. There’s not much to say on the matter. I was paid 500 gold, and I returned to the inn for some well deserved rest which I think sounds rather nice right now.

Hello bed. How I’ve missed thee.


	4. Dejavu is a funny sensation.

I did an absurd amount of rewinding today. In fact, the only major thing I accomplished ‘today’ was the bandit bounty. It took me a while to locate the hive, but eventually I got in and made it through to the end. My Pogo hammer was more than enough to kill the bandit chief, the target of the bounty.

After that, I traveled over skyrim for an unknown amount of time, trying to accomplish various tasks. One of which completely confounded my clairvoyance spell. I would follow it down an alleyway, only for the spell to turn right around and send me back the way I came. Useless waste of time.

There was a dragon I saw at one point as well, but it didn’t attack or get into range of my arrows… So again, a useless waste of time. I went to find the root that the shrine woman had sent me after, and I ran into witches. I managed to kill two of them, but a third ambushed me with a fireball. Rewind again, and another waste of my time.

Now I know they’re there at least. I won’t be going back that way for a while. So maybe not a complete waste of time. Still… I don’t know what I’m going to be doing exactly besides sitting on my bed here in the inn and writing this journal…

Hm, I heard some rumors of a Dwemer construct that could be found somewhere. Also heard of rumors that Dawnstar was having troubles. Maybe I’ll go searching for that tomorrow. And no, I’m not putting off investigating Alva’s house out of fear. If anything, these last few bandit encounters have showed me that I am woefully under equipped for fighting stronger opponents. Especially witches. A pogo hammer can only get me so far.

Oh well. Back to bed.

* * *

 

## Ruins and Necromancers

They seem to go hand in hand. Today as I left the Inn, I passed a man who warned me not to go through a certain Northern Pass through the mountains for reasons I didn’t quite catch as he absconded quite quickly. Of course, my interest was piqued, and I went searching for the thing. I’d missed the whole name, and despite it being written on my map, I had no clue where the blasted thing was.

So, I passed by Bleak Falls Barrow again- Riddled with bandits again. Quite a pain. But this time the ones at the near tower met their end quickly by my hammer. I also got some quick practice in with my new bow. I do think my archery is increasing well enough if I can one shot two wolves at a distance.

Eventually, after passing some Giants, passing some rather interesting puzzle ruins, and spotting a dragon in the distance, I found the Pass. I soon found out why there were warnings away from this place: Skeletons and A Petty soul gem guarded the Northern entrance, the latter blasting ice at me to the point that I was caught off guard by the second skeleton. That said, upon rewind, my new Dwarven bow seems to be quite adept at taking out Skeletons silently.

I’d ascended a set of stairs, and quickly spotted another skeleton lounging around. He took an arrow to the chest, and knew no more once again. Surprisingly, the Necromancer in the room with it took no notice of the skeleton’s collapse. I’d have expected him to have come running at me with all he had…

Nothing. So, Instead, I ran out to greet him. My hammer managed to smash him around his own lair quite a bit- although I think my last blow was a bit over zealous. Why, you ask? Well…He went sailing out of the room and tumbled down the stairs I myself had just climbed. He was dead on impact. By the nine, I should be warning the people around me about these infernal things! That’s twice now an enemy of mine has fallen down the stairs to their doom!

Alas, I cleared the pass, and found myself out in the middle of a rain storm. Blasted thing got me soaked in an instant, but that was fine. I went for a quick swim not too long later, and found some sunken ruins. A former tower that had been ravaged at one point, and then sunken into the lake. I entered to get a brief respite from the storm… And found my rewind ability charging itself at the warning before me- A metallic skeleton hanging crucified against a support beam.

Cautiously, I explored the ruins, and soon found fires lit all over the place. This was INHABITED. I wanted to get out, but my curiosity got the better of me- and I found myself dueling three apprentice necromancers. I killed two, but was slain by the third. I rewound back to the entrance and absconded back into the storm. Bloody necromancers and their ruins. I swear I’ll come back one day to finish them off.

It occurred to me just now that I have no clue where I picked up this bow from. Probably from one of my recent dungeon crawls…But I certainly must have picked it up absent minded-ly. Oh well. Not worth stressing myself over.

I passed a fisher-woman on my escape from the ruins, had a quick chat, then continued hunting for the roads. Not too much of an eventful trip, but I wound up passing a man slain by…wolves? His coin purse was left where it was- so obviously not a robbery. Or perhaps it was? It was rather buried under the man’s body. I don’t know for sure, though.

I passed a bear again today- Got the better of me and cost me a rewind to where I passed some pit wolves mourning the loss of their master- not too far from some shrines and other assorted ruins. Skyrim seems lousy with ruins. At least there weren’t any necromancers this time.

Eventually, I returned to Whiterun, sold what little I could alchemy ingredient wise, then met the “Master” again. I had just enough to buy a “Push” spell, which would push my opponents to the ground. Should be helpful if I face those necromancer novices again. But for now, I sit here in Dragonsreach waiting for a freshly cooked meal to be placed before me.

Until next time, Dear journal.

* * *

 

## Bigger on the Inside

As I sat up from eating, my feet kicked at a bag underneath the table that had not been there before. Curious, I picked it up and noticed that it had a note with my name on it along with the simple message: “Open the bag.” in the same handwriting as the ‘letter from a friend’ I received sometime earlier. I opened the bag with some hesitancy- it felt like it was carrying curiously shaped objects inside- and yet it weighed almost nothing beyond what an empty bag should feel.

I was instantly warped inside. Shrunken down to fit. This… “Haven Bag,” as the note left on the floor described, somehow contains impossible storage space- to the point that I myself can fit inside it! Impressively, this place is exactly what I’ve been wanting. Somewhere where I can store my items without weighing myself down or having to travel between place to place. Furthermore, much to my delight, it has a bed inside- along with the essential smith-ing, alchemy, enchantment, and cloth making equipment.

With this extra potential to make items and use them more thoroughly, I took the nearest horse carriage to Winterhold so I could visit the magic studies college there, which was near a shine I had been directed to by a kind stranger at some point. First off, I am never riding on carts again for as long as I shall live, handy as they are. The driver ran over several people (who thankfully got up again) and several animals (who sadly did not. Poor goats)!

Secondly, I was unaware of how *cold* it was this far north. And the snow. By the MOONS the snow! Even Morthal wasn’t this bad. Thirdly: The proof of magic test was absolutely ridiculous. The woman at the gate, an Altmer mage by name of Faralda, asked me to use a spell I’d never used before- she provided the tome, of course, for a price of thirty gold coins- then had me use the spell. I launched it once at the wall behind her, she didn’t notice. Then, I tried using it on her- Not even a flinch as it bounced off! Finally, I realized she wanted me to use it on the plate on the ground *behind* her.

Some test.

After wandering around inside the college, I found who I was supposed to talk to to register with the college enrollment. I caught her arguing with a Thalmor from the Dominion, who apparently was the arch-mage’s … I don’t know what the word is, exactly. But he gives ‘advice’ when asked of it. Personally, the man gives me the creeps. I tried to ignore him as best as I could every time I saw him.

Finally, I started classes with three other apprentices under the tutelage of Tolfdir, Master Alterer teacher of the school. He instructed us on using ward spells, and then told us to meet him at an archaeological dig site, Saarthal, one of the first cities built in all of Tamriel. After a harrowing encounter with an ice wolf- and then upon death’s rewind to a few minutes earlier a bandit who was fleeing from the man he’d stolen his sword from- I reached Saarthal, and played around with my new portable inventory while I waited for Tolfdir to arrive.

* * *

 

## Unusual Undead

We were soon inside the ruins, and we were assigned our tasks for the day. Of course, mine- simply collecting around four artifacts around a small room (Which, come to think of it, I didn’t complete) would turn out to be the worst one of them all. The first artifact- a necklace amulet- held down a weighted pressure that caused metal gates to close behind me- trapping me. Tolfdir suggested, upon learning of my predicament, that I try wearing the amulet. Doing such created a strong magical pull towards the wall the amulet had rested upon. Having the “magelight” spell on hand from earlier use, and at Tolfdir’s suggestion of using magic on it, I threw a sphere of light at the wall- not wanting to damage it.

I should have known better.

It crumbled away, and opened the gates at the same time. Alas, my better judgement lost out to my curiosity and I explored the ruins. Much to *MY* surprise, a spirit ghost like creation appeared before me, having frozen time. He introduced himself as Nerien, a member of Psijic Order, and said that- well- events had been set in motion. I missed a lot of what he said, his own spell vision powers drowning out his words, but I got the gist of it- my actions reflected on the world, blah blah blah. Then time resumed and Draugrs burst out of the walls. Tolfdir and I easily slayed them (Go Pogo, Go!), and then we continued into another room- Filled with even *MORE* Draugrs.

Tolfdir thought it odd. I was more inclined to think it was annoying. As I went further into the ruins to clear the way (The mage stayed behind to examine the “trap” room), I was reminded again and again of that certain Barrow. But this time, my hammer made short work of these pesky Draugrs. Puzzles galore stood before me, but by the time Tolfdir caught up with me, I’d already solved them all. It was then we entered the final chamber- Home to a massive glowing sphere of energy. We had no clue what it was- I think that Nerien might have mentioned it’s name if I’d been paying more attention- but it was guarded by a lone Draugr- by name of Jyrik Gauldurson, I would later learn by the note left in its armor.

During our initial encounter, I was shocked to see that my hammer did absolutely *NOTHING*! Apparently that orb in the background was keeping him from being harmed by *any* sort of attack. Tolfdir must have realized this, and had me distract the poor draugr while he cast a spell on the sphere- which dismissed it’s aura and the invincibility that Jyrik had. My hammer made quick work of him along with Tolfdir’s fire and electricity spells.

The encounter over, he had me return to the college so I could inform the Arch-Mage of our discovery. I did as such, and the Arch-mage had no idea what to tell me, so he shunted me over to the Librarian for research into it. Upon finding out, however, that someone had *STOLEN* the blasted things, I felt a tiny bit enraged. After volunteering to find the missing books, I left to exit the college, only to be stopped by that… Aldmeri Dominion representative or whatever it was he did there. He asked me about the sphere and I played evasive- News travels too fast around here for my liking.

After this point, things got tiring. Hiking through the mountains tiring. I took a visit to the Shrine of Azura, whose sole guardian said that she had seen me coming, and gave me a warning about a place in danger of water but not *IN* danger of water. Oh dear. I remember that place. A bit too late, miss, Just a * smidgen* too late.

After I left, I decided to hunt for these missing books- an endeavor which was helpful in the surveillance department, but not in the actual progress department. A waste of time all around. However, after dying at that point, I returned to Whiterun via another harrowing cart ride (the man simply refused to let me out, even after his horse nearly overturned the cart trying to climb *OVER* a wall) and used my Haven Bag to sort out how I was going to sell things.

After which I ended up dis-enchanting some mage robes I had gotten my hands on, and then proceeded to enchant some steel armor with the *same* enchantments. So now I’m wearing Mages combat armor. That’s novel. I do think the wholesale value went up by some degree. I wonder how much I can add onto it?

Oh well, nothing to worry about for now. I have a handful of soul gems, a newly purchased Soul Trap spell, and a world of dungeons ready to raid. But for now, I think I’ll just curl up in my portable home and sleep for a while.

* * *

 

 


	5. A Hate Constructed for Fire

## Hurried Patience

May I make it official just now?

I hate the Flame Constructs these novice necromancers have summoned. Of the three I’ve encountered thus far, one was slain by a coincidental dragon passing over head (I took the long way around due to a Giant wandering the area and was pleasantly surprised to watch said dragon obliterating the novice ice caster and his fire-woman companion from behind closed walls.) From there, I descended into the castle ruins, and explored quite thoroughly, although all these necromancers are getting on my nerves.

I’m writing now as quickly as I can, so I apologize for any mistakes in writing. I’ve hidden in my haven bag just outside of reach of yet another Fire construct. Literally just within reach- but thankfully out of sight. I’ve died nearly five times already by this creatures hands alone. My previous strategies have failed thus far, so I’m going to try something a bit different…

A whirlwind sprint followed by repeated pogo bashing.

If it works or not, I do not know, but it’s all I’ve got so far.

Despite these novices being only novices, they’ve proven to be quite a threat in significant numbers. I’ve had to change my own personal ~~stratiges~~ attack patterns multiple times already to compensate. Also, I found the poor lad who had stolen the books I currently quest after. I was going to send the lad on his merry way back up to the surface upon finding that he had been betrayed, and was potentially going to be turned into a vampire (I’ve seen many of their like thus far) had I not intervened…. He convinced me otherwise and stuck with me for a few moments…Up until the next wave of necromancer novices slayed him, and nearly myself a few times.

May your soul rest in peace, my fellow mage- I am truly sorry for leading you to your unnecessary doom, but I could not have held them off without your help.

Okay. I think I’ve wasted enough time here, I’m going to go for it. If I succeed or not is up to fate to decide. But one way or another- I *WILL* get past this stupid Flame Construct!

* * *

 

Success. The Construct is dead.

* * *

 

After that however, I found the woman in charge of everything. What a troll. Offers me the chance to turn around and leave after refusing my offer of politely leaving with the three stolen books, and when I try to take her up on her offer I discover to my horror-

The door is locked. But I’d just come through it. Which means that the door only opens one way. Or something like that. It doesn’t make sense to me. But regardless, she was VERY strong- and had another Fire Construct at her side. Damn.

I hate the blasted things. Let me repeat it as often as required. But yes, after some clever workings with my rewind ability (As always, when I use it to ‘save’ moments more liberally, things go my way more often. When I fail to do such, I end up getting ‘killed.’) I managed to defeat her Construct, reclaim each of the three books, and then slammed her into the ground more times than was necessary with the Pogo Hammer.

And as I made my escape, an Orge woman appeared out of thin air, in an empty room! Bloody Oblivion, she must have been hiding behind a crate or something. Scared me half to death! Regardless, she wasn’t hostile, and let me go on my way. From there, I returned to Whiterun Stables, then, reluctantly, hired another carriage to take me to Winterhold and its college.

My reluctance was not needed. Apparently the carriage company was getting complaints about their drivers or something. I actually managed to get some sleep while I was travelling. Of course, I returned the stolen books (foolishly without reading them) only to discover that there was something curious mentioned inside one of them! I’m going to have to consider rewinding to the past to read them, then returning to the future just to understand what was ‘ominous’ about them.

I then went to speak to Tolfdir, who was examining that “Eye of Magnus” or whatever it is we found, apparently having moved the thing from the ruins- I also heard that they’d found a draconic poem wall, the description matching what I’d seen in Bleak Falls Barrow! Blast it. I severely hope I don’t have to fight more Draugrs if I wish to find it. I could have used another dragon shout in there- whatever it may have actually been.

Regardless, our conversation was soon interrupted by that Dominion fellow… Said someone was asking for me by name- I didn’t catch who it was exactly. But when I arrived in the Arch mage’s office, much to my surprise, time slowed down and the man who wished to speak to me was the same one who had spoken to me in the vision I’d seen in the ruins where we’d found the “Eye!”

In short, he told me that the sphere needed to be moved, and that it was only a matter of time before someone tried to use it for dark purposes. Because it had been found in the first place, the “Order” he was from had been unable to send me more visions, so the man had come in person to deliver the message. Nice of him, considering he was breaking his orders own rules.

He then sent me on my way and pretended as the Dominion fellow approached as if he’d made some sort of mistake by summoning me. Potentially, he was pretending that he’d called for “Calliope” not know he was asking for the wrong person. Of course, the Dominion fellow wasn’t having any part of it. Saw straight through the lie, if I do say so myself.

As the Order man went off, being escorted by Dominion Fellow, I ran off to find some more info on the things going on, and look into the words the Order man had given me. It wasn’t much of a long search, although I fear I may have bitten off more than I could chew, considering I’ve gained two new quests to follow up on. I swear, I’m just a trouble magnet. Brother dearest would probably laugh at my indecisiveness- and my foolishness.

I currently sit with a green aura floating around me thanks to one of my classmate’s spells not properly working. I’d agreed to the venture, but oh well. I can feel it fading already. Probably will wear off in another ten minutes or so. I do wonder how my Brother would have dealt with all of this. He’s certainly more one for planning ahead than I. I’ve blindly rushed into things that he probably would have played out in his head ten thousand times by the moment he stepped into a room.

Oh well. I do hope he’s faring well. Home was quite… tumultuous when I left. Father’s quest for his “SORD…” had practically driven a wedge between him and mother when I agreed to go after it. I do hope they haven’t fallen into fighting. Brother would probably snap if that went on for too long. He’s nearly done it a few times already… Then again, I have to wonder if perhaps he’d fare better at this than I?

His planning skills certain would have helped out more in that last chamber. He’d probably have done what I finally did in the first place- dove for one book, waited for one of the two antagonists to pop out, and then do them in with a weapon of his choice. What would he prefer anyways? Crossbows? Swords? He was leaning heavily towards axes when I left- quite a heavy handed choice if I do say so myself.

In fact, he probably would have fared better against the flame constructs than I- Probably would have been miffed at that dragon stealing his ‘kill’ of that first construct… Although I think he’d be pleased with my creativity on the third- even if I’m not even sure how I killed the second. He’d probably have done something different than I- relying on those silly familiar casting staffs as I did.

By the moons do I miss him. I think I’ll write a letter. See how he’s doing. I hope Father got the “sord” alright as well. It’s been long enough, I’d think. I’ll tell him to write back to me at the College at Winte- No. I don’t want The Dominion Fellow shuffling through my mail. I think… I think I’ll have him write to Dragonsreach in Whiterun. That seems safer, at least.

Holy- I just realized I’d completely spaced out the Vampire in Morthol- and the quest the Greybeards have given me about retrieving that horn…! But after that last battle, I’m not so sure I’d be up to taking on a vampire… Maybe I’ll chart a course for Morthol next…

After I write this letter however.

* * *

## Short Days Long Problems

Ugh. This has turned out to become one of *those* days after all. You know the ones.

I wrote my letter and sent it off, but I still needed to wait for the spell to wear off. And as I did such, I investigated some of the problems I’ve somehow become entangled with inside the College. One of which is recovering a staff so that I can get a personal amulet back. The man just wouldn’t stop going on and on about the same blasted thing as if I’d actually asked him about it.

Oh, and when the practice spell wore off, I stupidly agreed to…well… Actually. I’m not going to write about that. Much too embarrassing. After that, I went in search of a lead I’d uncovered following the mage Aranea’s advice. Bloody hell, I had to pay him all of my remaining money just to get a word in edgewise. Broke. The advice I received made me want to hunt down the object we discussed for my own personal uses in enchantment rather than returning the object as I might have once intended to. A soul gem that doesn’t break after enchantment? I’m listening.

Since I was in the area, ish, I took the time to trek back to the dig site, through a blizzard mind you, just so I could find that bloody word wall. Also in the area was a chest with random items inside, thankfully maintaining some gold coins inside. With that found, I hiked back, and sold what items I could to the local merchant. I may have depleted their own on-hand reserves of coin just a smidge, but I managed to give them some valuable objects in turn. They’ll easily be able to make it back, I think.

But for now…I’m tired of all this snow, and I’m tired of all of this questing. I might hire a carriage back down to Whiterun or Riverwood to warm up a bit.

* * *

 

## Off to see the Augur

The Augur in the Midden Dark. After searching through my quest notes, trying to make sense of all of this funny business that’s fallen upon me, I decided to enter the Midden, the chambers beneath The College of Winterhold.  It was quite an annoying place. Frozen over as it was, but thankfully few enemies inside, compared to some places I’ve ran into. I took out a Draugr with one real hammer swipe, and watched as, when he landed below at the bottom of the stairs that I’d failed to notice, he stumbled around for a few moments before crashing backwards through an abandoned cart.

I should have warned him about the stairs.

There were some skeletons, and decently sized Frostbite spiders… One of whom refused to die. I managed to get some hammer practice in, thanks to that, but otherwise was a pain. At one point I hit the spider so hard I swear I fell through the floor into another section of the Midden. Of course, I was then lost, so I reset my timeline…And promptly found my way out of the Midden and beneath the college proper. A very spectacular view…But time wasting. I had to march back out and around the college before I thankfully found the road back into Whiterun.

Once I returned to the Midden, the spider still refused to die, even when I sneaked around from behind it, ironically after having found the chamber that I’d fallen into. Oh well. Finally, I Met the Augur, who was not whom I was expecting, and was informed that I needed the “Staff of Magnus” to do anything about the Eye. Oh. So that was why I was there? My Notes have become so jumbled as of late that I’d lost track of why I’d ventured down here.

I found out that this “Staff” was rumored to be in some set of ruins, somewhere near another location I’d been tasked to visit (by the Library owner, actually)… And which I promptly forgot about once I actually found said location.

Of all of the blasted… I should have known from the bloody corpses riddling the entrance and paths deeper into the cave.

This “Orolothiem Den” or whatever it was called was a TROLL NEST. I’d barely dispatched one with several dozen hammer swings and was near killing a second (One? Easy. Two? Two I can handle with a bit of rapid switching) before I realized that I’d stumbled upon a Nest. A. NEST. When I flung that second troll into the next chamber, I saw not one, not two, but THREE fresh trolls standing there. THREE. I temporally absconded with a rewind, and marched away from the cave entrance as quietly as I could. I am NOT going there any time soon…

So Now I sit outside the entrance to yet another tomb/ruin set, having ran here after hearing a bear roar at me for trespassing on it’s property. Should I enter? Should I run? No clue. Of particular note, on my way here through Riverwood, I found a peculiar cube that’s very heavy despite it’s small size, along with two ‘portal’ spells. Very curious, though I’m not sure how to apply these to ba-

I am an Idiot.

* * *

 

After an unsuccessful portal battle with the trolls (the portal spell set I have now is apparently “range limited” according to the note I failed to properly read when I got them. I’ll need to find some sort of other object before I can get the “Full Range” Version), I rewound and explored the structure I had been resting at.

I found two things: One was a spell tome that allows me to summon a Bear who plays a lute (He’s certainly better than any bard I’ve heard thus far) for no magical cost at all. I Can see this being useful as a distraction, perhaps, in the future (or perhaps just to drown out the local bards). The other thing was a man waiting just inside the tomb walls. The poor man was part of the family who *OWNED* this memorial tomb, and apparently a necromancer had locked himself inside and was doing “gods know what to” his “relatives inside.”

His aunt had gone into the tomb alone to confront the man, and he was almost to the point of hitting himself upside the head for letting her do it. (Spoiler alert: She died.) And having gone through this tomb more times than literally was necessary, I can see why he was so hesitant to do such. The necromancer had turned all of the warriors buried inside into Draugrs, and let me just say…there were absurdly too many of them.

We died four different times, to the point that I’m sure I seemed more annoyed the fifth time as we entered the main burial chamber. I certainly felt like it, having come up with a plan down to a fraction of a second. Also, I’m glad I took the time to revisit the excavation site, the shout I learned there was absurdly helpful.

I ran right up the stairs, and before he could teleport away like he had done so many times before, I Yelled at him to become solid ice- and he did- Then I hit him with my hammer and got him stuck in the corner of the wall. From there, the tomb’s owner and I took out the draugr forces hidden in the room by the necromancer on our own terms, with each of us using healing potions exactly at the middle of the fight, and then we walked up to the stuck necromancer, still half frozen and and still stuck between the wall and one of his tables thanks to my hammer, and we killed him.

The man stayed behind, and I returned to Whiterun to rest up a bit- and also purchase a new spell from the “Master.” I forget which it was at the moment, either a heat beam or a force push- it was spur of the moment really. I suppose I’ll find out which it is when I use it next.

And as I partially mentioned before, I drowned out a rather annoying bard in the local inn with my Lute playing bear. He tried hitting on me, of all the nerve- then I found out, from a woman sitting right next to him, in fact- that he’d been doing the same to her as well! I simply walked over to him, told him to give up chasing the poor girl, and when he said the classic ‘yeah? Or what?’ I simply waved my hand and -Poof!- Lute Bear began playing his merry tune.

Yes, he seemed properly regretful when he apologized.


	6. Appologies and Payments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calliope ran into Drunken Sam's quest in this one -_-;

I apologize to my fUtUr readers for any mis-spelled words or miswritten phrases. I have had one oif those days where things dont seem to go right at all. I am cUrrently nUrsing a hangover from two drinks. TWO. wha.t was even in that stUff anywayz?

Ahhem. To ah, rewind a slight bit… I exited whiterun to go investegate a bandit camp at the end of a stream I had been told there was a boUnty on those within. I managed to takeon theiir oUtside gUards eaasily enoUgh, and the one fool inside feel easily enough…foUr times. AlthoUgh one thing DID come of fortUne… They had collected three Mamoth TUsks, which made one of my many, many tasks easier. The three remaining bandits inside the cave….well….

I managed to take oUt all bUt their leader on my last try…his sword has a fire enchantment which makes killing him a most…difficUlt pain. his goons were easy to take down with some strategy, bUt not him. After that, I decided to give those necromancers in the sUnken fortress a visit, as two of my qUestsz coincided in that location.

I won, and emerged victoriUs from the rUins with both Shalidors writings and AzUras starr, however broken the thing cUrrently is. From there, I decided to visit a nearby island which had a stone structUre on it. Another of the many stone totems that give blessings to people who Use them. This one being the “Lady Stone,.” heh

A dragon attacked me the moment i stepped foot on the island, i dont know how the bloodU thing foUnd me…bUt it did. caUtioUsly, I rewoUnd to the past, jUst before i went to the island and checked the environment. No Dragon in sight. So I made a checkpoint and went to the island. It came oUt oaf nowhere. bloody dragons.

I escaped post haste, and foUnd myself soon Under siege by wolves…and a Thalmor prisoner transport. Sticking it to them, i freed the prisoner and then was swiftly killed. my Hammer did nothing to their armor. absolUtly stUnning. I rewound back to being Under attack by the dragon.Going a different path, i managed to get to whiteruns western watchtower. Where I took a fUw minUteds to enchant some better armor inside my haven bag…

when i emerged enraged necromancers were waiting to kill me. bloody oblivion. how could this day get any worse? tUrns oUt, engaging in a drinking contest with a man at the local tavern was the worst move I coUld make. when I awoke, i was half way across Skyrum, inside a temple id apparently trashed in my drUnken stUppor. after appologizing and paying for the damages, i found out id mentioned something about rorikstead and went to find the man id been drinking with.

i have no clUe where I am besides it being “Markath” or something like that. i dont properly care aboUt the spelling right now. All i care about right now is finding my way through to…wherever rorikstead is. right now i stand outside some bandit camp held up in a cave. the name is familiar, red eagle, i think its one of my quest locations. though i dont remember accepting it…perhaps in my drunken state? …Meh.

* * *

 

I write to you now having begun spiraling down a treacherous path. Having explored the ruins before me at the end of the last entry, I found a key and fought several of these ‘forsworn briarhearts’ that were guarding the ruins.  Ruins, and not a tomb, that was nearby. The lock mechanism was cleverly hidden by using a sword as a key. Clever indeed.

This “Red Eagle” was a Draugr, whom was very, very foolish. How so? During our fight, he had me in his sights, where upon one shout could have finished me…And then spun around and wasted that shout on the far wall. “What just happened?” I asked. Alas, upon raiding the nearby chests, I believe I found my answer- a spherical construct resembling me of a multi-sided chance die that upon touching it, told me to take it to the top of a mountain. I’ll get to that soon enough, deity, don’t you worry. I make sure to follow through on my quests…once I’m sufficiently ready, that is.

Having done this, I found my way to Rorikstead, whereupon the owner of a goat told me off that I had guts for returning to the town. After some talking, I found out that, in my drunken state, I had stolen and then promptly *SOLD* a goat to a giant– well, that explains the giant’s toe in my inventory. The owner told me he’d tell me the rest if I got him his goat back. So I went to the nearest giant settlement…and promptly got stuck on a cliff face as a giant and two mammoths tried to kill me for trespassing. I had no choice at first- I couldn’t escape without them hunting me down.

I spent the entire night shooting arrows and firing ice blasts at them- after some time it became…almost of a challenge to try to take these four down. Persistent fellows, I’ll give them that. Once I’d slain them all, however, no trace of the goat could be found anywhere in their camp. …And so as the sun rose, I went to explore the remaining hill sides for any sign of the poor thing.

I promptly ran into a man who had been bitten by a vampire, I of course had no cure for it on hand, so he ran off to the nearest town- I followed, having nowhere better to go. It was then that I stumbled upon a giant…walking a goat as if it were a dog. One Ice form Shout and a swift hammer swing latter, and the giant was dead as it reached the bottom of the hill.

The owner was overjoyed to see his goat returned, without a scratch, and gladly told me that I had stolen the goat to pay off a woman in Whiterun- Ysolda. Wait, wasn’t she who I gave the mammoth tusk to? A brisk return to Whiterun yielded a long conversation in which I learned many things and subsequently lost my temper. I had stolen a ring from her, for which the goat payment was to pay Ysolda back with, in order to give it to my ‘fiance’.

What in the name of the Nine **_did I do_** the other night?

Oh my brother would be laughing right about now as I revealed that last fact. “Oh Callie” he’d begin. “I didn’t know you swung that way!” and then there’d be a mighty guffaw as he jokingly would say something I really shouldn’t be writing in this journal- in case any prying young eyes were to read it. Continuing on, Ysolda told me that the “wedding” was in some place just afar from Windhelm. As I leaved, the head of the Whiterun guard stopped me about some kind of bounty that I had incurred on my head. Having no idea what it was I did, I simply explained to the man that I had no clue what it was that I did, being drunk at the time, and paid him the fine for whatever damages I had caused. He seemed reasonable enough, especially considering that I’m still apparently the Thane of this hold…Whatever a Thane is, I’ve never been told exactly what.

I found the “Wedding” easily enough… and was quickly slain by the “party guests”- More Necromancers than I could shake a stick at. Again I ask: What did I *DO* the other night? Regardless, I took the opportunity of being in the area to visit Windhelm- a quaint place, if a bit prejudice against other species. As I wandered, I heard rumors of someone casting the black sacrament, in order to summon the Dark Brotherhood of all people! What’s more, upon actually investigating, I heard that it was a *CHILD*! So I went into his house.

The lad was near around my own physical height, though slightly taller by a bit, and had mistaken my appearance as a Dark Brotherhood assassin showing up to answer his prayers! Oh if only he’d known… Regardless, He told me his mother had died, and due to that, he had been shipped off to an orphanage in Riften- run by a cruel woman with a moniker “The Kind.” He had escaped her cruel hands, returned home, and performed the sacrament with his own mothers body…The poor boy. I felt sympathy for him, so I played the part of an assassin, and accepted the contract.

* * *

 

Riften- A wretched hive of scum and villainy– And now dragons as well. The moment I stepped through the gate, a dragon swooped down from the heavens to begin its attack. Fire rained down upon the town, and everyone pulled their weight to knock the dragon down from his perch in the skies. I, having been fed up with the last dragon attack, threw my own arrows in with the bunch. Somehow the Dragon got knocked down and had his snout wedged into a bridge. Stuck! I ran over and finished the job with the pogo hammer, snapping the dragon’s neck due to the force– and then it died by this dragon-soul eating thing that I can do, apparently.

Heh, everyone around just stared at me in awe and shock. I had just slain a dragon with a light show! I even gave a beggar a coin out of the spur of the moment feeling! Oh what a rush that feeling of devouring a Dragon’s soul is. My body felt invigorated and supercharged- so much so I barely made note of the fact that the dragon had died right outside the orphanage. Of all the luck!

In the chaos that ensued in removing the dragon’s corpse from the bridge, I sneaked into the building… “The Kind” did not fit this woman one bit. I felt angry just seeing her treat these children like slaves- even claiming that they wouldn’t be adopted! Oh I’ll show her- Once I settle this civil war, I’m coming back to adopt each and every one of these kids. But first…First things first…I followed the woman into her room, and told her that the “Dark Brotherhood has come.” She scoffed, told me to leave for wasting her time…

Then I closed the door and brought my hammer down upon her back. Not painless, I should hope, by the scream she made as she fell to the floor. Suck it up, hag! Vampires have held their tongue in the face of this weapon better than you just did! …then the door opened, and the kids saw me standing over her, holding the weapon that had taken her life…

And they cheered. Cheered! “The Kind” was dead! They even asked if the kid who had escaped had sent me- Wisely I just kept my mouth sealed shut with a smile and a nod. Oh what a glorious feeling this was. The Kids were all staring in awe and amazement, and…the woman’s subordinate was running around mouth agape as if she had no clue what to do. She ran for the door, then ran back, ran for the door, ran back. The poor girl- I think she was torn between reporting a murder and cheering at the hag’s death!

I quietly exited the orphanage, walked around past the dragon’s skeleton, and escaped Riften while looking as casual as possible. I returned to Windhelm via carriage, and informed the boy the job was done. He paid me with an old dinner plate that was only worth 100 gold, but still, the satisfaction in seeing the look on his face was all I needed. Next, I moved up to Winterhold, to take care of the book that I had recovered from the watery grave, as well as to see a man about the star fragment.

Upon arrival, a guard curiously mentioned that a woman in Riften had been murdered, inside the orphanage! How did news travel that fast? Seemingly impossible… I went to find the man to talk about the broken star, but he wasn’t inside at all. Great. I exited the Inn he’d been staying at and was promptly greeted by a courier- who gave me two things, one of which he had been paid extremely well to get to my hands directly. The first item was a letter from my brother! To my surprise, written not even a day ago! With couriers like these, who needs dragons?

And speaking of Dragons, down came another- right at that exact moment. Bloody Oblivion! Can’t I catch a break? The nearby guards and I each sought cover below the roof overhangs as the dragon landed on rooftops, fired some ice shouts, and then took off again to repeat the cycle. What a beast! Foolish, however. When it took off of the roof next to the one I was hiding under, I stepped out, looked up, and Shouted an ice burst at it- That really did some damage to the poor beast. His actions became frantic after that, as our arrows seemingly did more damage! Oh he was scared now! _“Dovakiin! Dovakiin!”_ I think we all could hear the music playing through the air from that moment on.

The Dragon was soon forced to the ground, snapping its jaws at any that dared get near… And I strolled up from behind and smashed my pogo hammer into the back of its leg- sealing the deal as the beast collapsed to the ground and burned away in the snow as its soul was consumed by my own. Those in the town square were in awe, each asking repeatedly if it was dead, and to each I nodded in confirmation with the words “It’s dead.”

Having sorted that out, I opened the other letter, and discovered a black hand print with the words “We know” inside. Oh dear, could this be about the “Black Sacrament” kill I’d taken? …Yes, that was a rhetorical question. I scowled, rolled my eyes, and returned to the college to give the librarian his book. Having done that, I strolled up to the students quarters, and, finding the room I was ‘supposedly’ given, I took whatever stuff on the shelves I could find, triggering another student’s wry comment about it just being there for the taking, then fell into bed. Come and get me, Brotherhood. I don’t care.

And come they did. The details of the encounter I will spare you with…All you need to know is that I’ve been extended an invitation to join their group, one perverted cat has been put on ice, and I am now within easy access of three of my quest goals- including the Morthal job I’ve been putting off for a long while now. Decisions decisions.

 


	7. Ungrateful Shellfish

I write to you in the breaths between battles, just outside of the main chamber that the Vampire Lord resides in. My companion seems skeptical of my noted ‘rewind’ powers, but has made no note of it. In fact, he’s probably grateful that we aren’t going in right away as it is. I don’t blame him. After exiting the Brotherhood shed, I wandered the frozen wastes a short amount…and stumbled upon a troll, perhaps multiple ones but I cannot be sure. The damned thing was practically immune to my ice shouts, and chased me across the frozen swamps I’d been dumped in. Eventually, I stumbled upon an abandoned camp, which gave me some respite. I made note of the nearby ruins, however, as soon as I found a journal from the leader of an excavation.

Inside was a tomb similar in construct to Saarthal, although leaning more to Bleak Falls Barrow in design, and considering who was inside, it makes sense. Another man who had been Draugr-ified in order to protect something– a piece of an amulet. However in Saarthal, I found the fragment first, in this new tomb, I needed to kill the man guarding it. Not an easy task when he’s surrounded by Draugr of all types. But I got it done, and uncovered a new Shout fragment for my troubles. After emerging from the ruins, I absconded directly to Morthal, to complete the task I’d been assigned by the Jarl, but had been putting off.

I broke into Alva’s house without much consideration. She must have been escalating her plans soon- for the man I was seeking to clear of his crimes was inside as well as the vampire herself. I stole her Journal and absconded from the house, diving into the ice cold pond nearby in hopes of striving their attacks off. I should have stayed in there and waited, but the adrenalin was pumping too hard at this point. I shoved out of the water and dove into the Jarl’s building, with the Vampire and her “Toy” in tow. The bitch began trying to drain my health while her “Toy” tried to murder me with his ax.

And while all of this was going on- The guards and those talking with the Jarl at that moment just backed into a corner and watched me try to defend myself from their attacks. I tried to speak TO the Jarl, but every time I tired I was hit by an attack and had to defend myself even more. Eventually, the “Toy,” being just a mortal, died in an inferno of fire and dissolved into ash. My hammer is not fire enchanted. How that worked I don’t know. The Vampire took up even more rage at this point.

I Ducked outside and it was there that we exchanged blows for quite a long time. Despite townsfolk yelling “Someone do something!” The town guards just STOOD there. Watching. Really? You’re taking the time to appreciate our bodies in motion before one suddenly dies? And speaking of suddenly dying, I managed to slay the vampire. What a pain. Before I could catch my breath however, a guard strolled over and ARRESTED ME for MURDER. One THOUSAND gold down the drain just to pay off the fine so that I could get to the Jarl to EXPLAIN myself.

I gave the Jarl Alva’s journal, and from there I was tasked to lead a force of townsfolk up to the cave mentioned in the journal (I should have read it myself.) where a VAMPIRE LORD Resides. Five people followed me up, one of whom claimed to be the _**“BEST FIGHTER IN MORTHAL,”**_ but once we got to the actual cave, only one followed me in- the man whose wife I had encountered all those entries back now. He’s the one with me now.  The rest are waiting outside- the cowards.

This cave has forced me to rewind five times now. The spiders? Easy to defeat. The “Thralls” are even easier to kill when there is only one at a time (Solid Ice shout, Hammer to the back). But this last CHAMBER? What a Bloody PAIN. I hate vampires. I really do. This

chamber is four against TWO, although it feels more like four against one. This man beside me, by the way, I should not has not particularly helped in any of those timelines. Instead following my lead. Yes, I can see you peering over my shoulder there. Take some initiative will you? I can’t take them on all on my own.

My plan now is this: If the vampire from before was stupid enough to follow me outside of the confines of her home…then maybe these four will be just as stupid and follow me outside the cave where our ‘raiding party’ rests? Otherwise, my only other plan is to try *Shouting* at reality to make me immune to their health draining spells. I seriously doubt that would work, however. I wouldn’t even know where to begin with the Draconic tongue.

Now, those historically inclined may have noticed that I do not like Vampires that much, and I feel that it’s high time that I put these issues to paper if only so that I’m not bottling my feelings up inside every time I see these idiots. As a child, I took obnoxiously long baths that could last for days by using my (then unknown to my family) rewind skill to have essentially relived the same hours over and over and over. Our home was just over Father’s shop at the time, so if the traders coming in had children with them around our age, they would play with us to pass the time. One time, when I was taking such a bath, my brother was playing a card game with the daughter of such a trader.

She turned out to be a vampire, and her ‘father’ was in fact her great grandson. When I emerged from my bath the first time, I emerged into our shared room to find my brother dead on the floor with the vampire straddling him, his blood still dripping from her mouth. I instantly rewound and emerged from the bath hours early, catching the girl in the act of seducing my (then un-experienced in *many* things) brother so that she could drink his blood.

Needless to say that while the following… encounter was very awkward, it saved my brother from a messy death. Still. That’s enough rambling for now. Time to go kill some more of these bloody blood suckers.

u_u

* * *

 

## Long…Weeks?

I’ve lost track of time somehow. I currently reside in the Riften jail… for a crime I didn’t even commit there? Whatever…. At least this time they let me keep the journal so I could re-count my exploits. So, I tried to use music bear as a shield against the vampires. That worked fairly well…But I still got one-shotted by a stray sword. So upon rewind, I stubbornly whispered at reality to make me immortal and went in after them with the same strategy.  I do not believe the effect has worn off even as of this current moment. I simply do not get hurt- feel pain, yes, but only for a short moment.

I wound up in Solitude after this, to return the “beacon” to it’s temple, located nearby…And subsequently found myself interrupting an execution after someone bumped into me and slipped a key into my pocket! I just couldn’t help myself. The guard just said that it was an offense too many times and…And… I Froze the Executioner. I simply caved in and froze him solid. Then the guards were after me and there was running… I found the temple, and wound up navigating it’s ruins as a measure of a time delay, as well as the fact that an angry deity wanted me to get the necromancer inside out.

That being done, I tried sneaking into Solitude to see where the Key went…and found myself arrested for my ‘crimes.’ I paid the fine and was escorted through the city- luckily winding up near the temple that the key went to! What followed was a mysterious other-realm triggered by a sword-portal, several annoying creatures, and A Dragon. Defeating said Dragon, I found myself holding vast wealth! Enough to buy the Time Slowing spell from the Master in Whiterun.

Following this purchase, I raided several of the more…troublesome areas that I had been avoiding– One of which was the “Wedding” I had declared… It turns out: “Sam” was a Daedric lord. … I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. When we finished conversing, I was back in the bar in Whiterun. How….? I’m not going to question it. Oh well. Anyways, I trolled the dungeons I’d been putting off, and chopped quite a few quests off of my list.

As it turns out, Dragons are a lot easier to kill when you can slow down time and get up close and personal with  your weapons. I’ve slain…four now? Five?…Since I last wrote. Quite a hall, that. But I’m getting ahead of myself, slightly. I charted a course through these various quests that I put off so that I would carve a path through Skyrim to the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary. And I’ve joined the Bard’s college too. But again, I’m getting ahead again.

There simply was so much that I’ve done now… I really should have stopped to write it all down at some point sooner than this- would be fresher in my memory, I think. But alas, I can’t really write it all down action for action. Sorry, historians. I wound up taking on a list of hit kills, the second of which I really should have done better. I wound up killing the man opening a museum in Dawnstar when he attacked me for killing my contract hit. Damn it. I was hoping to avoid this.

I stayed in jail for killing him, and was about to leave town when a dragon attacked. Bloody HELL! Why do the Divines hate me so? For some reason, instead of attacking the Dragons, EVERY SINGLE GUARD decided to attack me instead! WHY? Idiots. I paid them off so I could face the Dragon, and *THEN* they helped to fight. Then it ran away. So I chased after it. Then It swooped down to the town boarder, and we dueled. Once I slayed the dragon, they all stood gawking. Every single guard just walked up…made a line in front of me…

And I shouted at them. Repeatedly. Whoops. Bounty was back. So, I froze time and ran away. Luckily, they didn’t realize what had happened until it was too late. But still. Really, Dawnstar guards? Really? You know, I feel like going back there and killing every single guard. Just to spite them. But I probably won’t. Even so, I feel like this is the continuing trend of a downwards spiral for me. The more Dragon Souls I absorb, the more it seems like I’m *becoming* a dragon. It makes sense that I am, due to my own soul…but… It’s becoming hard to differentiate the different memories swirling inside my head now. What are mine, and which are the dragons?

It’s so hard… Sorry. I apologize for the water stains. It’s hit me hard all of a sudden how far my own life has changed since I left home. If I returned home right this instant, would my family even recognize me? … I’d probably as foreign to them as those Dwemer constructs I fought just recently appeared to myself. I’m not sure what to make of all of this…there’s still some inherent good in me… I interrupted that execution, now I remember why, because it was a little girl’s uncle on the chopping block. I fought because of that girl, I even gave her some of my gold… Why? Why was that all it took?

Once I get out of jail, I’ll return the sword I went through that Dwemer ruin for, and then…perhaps…I don’t know. I feel like I should do something more… Bloody Dragons. I can’t sit still for this long… I’ve been in non stop motion since I left Morthal. I re-killed a half-revived spirit! I Slaughtered Trolls and Dragons alike. I’ve killed Giants for no good reason. …I….I…

I miss my brother.

* * *

 

After a hair-raising experience in Markath, I’ve had it to about *here* with jail and prisons. Yes, I got involved in an incident that wound up getting a bounty on my head, as well as a drive to start fighting in clothes that don’t offer much protection. (Yes, brother, if you ever read this, I know what you are thinking. Stop it now.) It all started on my way to meet another Dark Brotherhood contractor, and wound up with me narrowly escaping a Daedric possessed house, two fist fights, and several guards who were less guards and more idiot sword wielders trying to *arrest* me for simply digging into some crimes… Oh, and they also tried to frame me for murder. There’s that too. I played along, of course, but only to see what was behind a gate that had a lever *SO* rusted I couldn’t even move it, let alone try to pick the lock on.

So yes, to make a long story very short, I wound up in a Mining/Prison Camp, stripped down to ragged cloth that didn’t fit me well at all, much too tight. So when, following the leads I’d been given, I had to engage in a fist fight with an Orc just to gain access to a certain room…I did the sensible thing and ditched the restrictive cloth. Oh what a glorious sight those fellow miners must have had: A big brutish orc losing in a fist fight to a tiny girl in nothing but her underwear. (Again, Brother, stop thinking that..Actually, make that double to any perverts out there that are reading an ex-script of this.)

Everyone escaped through the Dwemmer ruins the mine had broken into, and I was soon reunited with my gear. Hello again, ol’ Pogo. Did they treat you well? I should hope so. …That seems utterly ridiculous now that I’ve written it. Regardless, I fought my way through the guards and I think I may have permanently earned a bad name there? Meh. Doesn’t matter. Anyways, either before or after this, I barely remember due to all the excitement, I somehow wound up becoming Arch Mage of the college in Winterhold and killed that Dominion fellow with no repercussions.

Anyways- three dragons and many dungeons raided, I’ve just about hit my head against the wall here. I’ve finally decided to investigate the dungeon the Greybeards instructed me to go to. And I’m *literally* not being able to cross between this stupid gate mechanism that they have in place. There’s some sort of magic barrier keeping me from walking through when all the gates are up with time frozen. Utterly ridiculous! I’m going to have to see about using this one shout that I’ve found on a wall down here. The word, after using a dragon’s soul to unlock it, allows me to turn into a ghost for a few moments- I may be able to extend this with my time freeze spell, but it’s going to require some more…tricky testing.

If it comes down to it, I might just yell at reality to let me walk through the gates as if they weren’t there like I did before, making me impervious to pain. …But I’m not going to risk taking the chance that I’m suddenly going to fall through the floor into Oblivion. Much too much of an annoyance, this gate. I don’t think it was designed for someone of my stature. If I were taller, I might be able to run through this gate as the greybeards ‘instructed’ me to. Meh. We’ll see.

* * *

 

At the moment, I’ve taken a break- after a crash course in sneaking and thievery- to recap my adventures thus far. After I got past those moving gates, I found the final chamber– Riddled with dead Draugr and no Horn of Mister Windcaller. Instead? A note. A. NOTE. Addressed to the Dragonborn- telling me to head to Riverwood’s local in and request a peculiar room. Doing such wound up introducing me to yet *ANOTHER* faction on this grand chessboard that is Skyrim– The Blades.

Oh, and the journey this lady sent me on? Lead right back to that man all those weeks and months ago whom I turned down for a job offer. What. A. Pain. He had me steal a ring from a lock box and then *PLANT* it on someone. My Time slowing spell *definitely* makes me move stealthily, especially when I’m intentionally trying to be quiet. Oh what a surprise, you’re saying now as I continue: “Alas, I’m getting ahead of myself now.” This was step three of a larger quest. What was step one? Fighting a dragon to prove I was actually dragon born. Step two? Infiltrating a Thalmor Embassy- during a party.

Oh what a day. I am shaking my head at this moment as I think back. Never before did I feel more out of place with my small size than there. I ‘found’ some journals documenting the Dominion’s research into dragons, and found that they were *not* behind the dragons. (Huge surprise. I roll my eyes sarcastically at you, Delphine.) Oh, instead I found out about another Blades member, Esbern or something. I ended up escorting him back to Riverwood. From Riften.

And all thanks to that, I’ve gotten entangled up with the Thieves guild. Oh well. Anyways- Onto the subject at hand: DRAGONS. Turns out that dragon that ‘saved’ me from beheading?  ** _ALDUIN._** As in: Eater of Worlds. As in: END OF THE WORLD. Oh, and you remember that first step I mentioned? I saw him- Alduin- Resurrecting the dragon in question that I soon dispatched. Oh that is an unpleasant thought, Isn’t it?

Oh, and I’ve not made a good name for myself by attacking Thalmor ‘escort’ parties. Nor have I done myself any favors by taking pock-shots at said parties when they’ve been attacked by the dragons I soon slayed! And…That ended up with a lot of people trying to kill me for the rather impressive bounty I’ve mounted over my head! Bounty hunters have come after me! Oh, and the Blades who have been ‘recruiting’ me? …The one lady just started attacking me for no reason! At first I thought it was just the armor I was wearing, but even on rewinds and changing clothing and- UGH.

* * *

 

But yes. Alduin. I interrupted his resurrection of a dragon recently. I ran up beneath him and shouted fire at him. And. He. Ran. Away. Absconded, shouted a thunder storm into existence and flew away into the distance before I could do a thing to stop him. The Coward. Doesn’t have the guts to face a *TINY DROW GIRL* on his own. Nope. Instead he sends dragons to attack me repeatedly! Three “Elder Dragons” Came out of bloody NOWHERE to spew flame down upon me, though I now know it to be a typical dragon greeting, but the snapping and gnashing of teeth? Nope. Definitely attacking. Elder Dragons. Come on.

Alduin, really? You send your mooks to repeatedly try to kill me- the DOVAHKIIN- when I’ve proven that I can handle any Dragon you send my way? Well… Since you *RAN AWAY*, I’m just going to go with the Blades into this ancient headquarters to see how I can knock you out of the sky? Oh? A shout? Well, that seems anti-climatic. Anyways, Back to the subject at hand- Apparently all I had to do to get everyone (Even the bloody animals) to stop hating on me was to spend my penance in jail. Go figure. The Blades led me to a temple of theirs, old and ancient and forgotten- Sealed by Dragonborn blood lock. Hah. Go figure.

Anyways, apparently I need to learn this “Dragonrend” Shout. So I went to speak to the greybeards, who… Don’t know it. So they sent me to speak to their leader… A DRAGON HIMSELF! …And he STILL Didn’t know the bloody shout! What the hell? Now I have to find one of these “Elder Scrolls” to “Look through Time” to learn the Shout from those who made it! Bluh. So I went back to Riften, and did some odd jobs– fought another dragon (who died in the same spot as the last)– robbed some houses– collected some debts… And have now sneakily stolen things from a safe then subsequently burned a select amount of beehives.

Also: On the Dark Brotherhood front- I’ve become the “Listener” for the Night Mother and have picked up a contract already from her, much to our “Mistress’s” dismay at having her authority overthrown. And what is this contract you ask?

A lead in to the biggest play for power Skyrim will ever see.


	8. The Cards we're dealt in the game of Life

A Listener, A Vampire, and a Redguard walk out of a burnt sanctuary. Not much of a joke, now is it? That’s because it isn’t. I… Don’t quite know how to continue from where I left off. Even writing a few words is a laboring task, not so much due to the fact that I write as I gallop at speed towards Whiterun. Yes, I said Gallop. I am on a horse as I write this, impressive, is it not?

To make a long story short, I followed on the missions Astrid assigned me to, following on the course of action laid out in our newest contract. A lot of espionage. By now, the secret is out: An assassination attempt on the Emperor himself. Failed, but not for long. But that was only the second most recent action- most recent being me riding Shadowmere across Skyrim as I write. My, I do seem to get wordy in situations like this, all while on a horse. Ironic, considering my penchant to remain silent at times.

Astrid betrayed us– betrayed me. She’d set me up to take the fall for the emperor’s murder. The empire’s men…didn’t keep their end of the bargain. Then again, I suppose that’s fair considering I left that foolish Jester, Ciciro alive, despite Astrid’s orders. Heh. So much like my brother to keep an ace up his sleeve, so much like him in fact, that I managed to sell to her that I did kill him. The clown had stolen himself away to an abandoned Sanctuary of the Brotherhood, soon to be our new headquarters.

Babet, Nazir, and I are all those who lived to survive the empire’s ransacking. I hid inside the Night Mother’s coffin, at her request… Nazir probably had a similar idea after seeing me enter it. Babet? I never saw her in the building during the raid. She was probably out on a contract, I’ll bet. Funny, I still dislike vampires with a vengeance. But the fact that she was practically ordering Nazir to drag the Night Mother’s coffin out of the nearby pond to save my life… I don’t mind that she’s a vampire. I certainly don’t hate her. I suppose there are a few exceptions to every bunch.

And speaking of exceptions: During the middle of my quest to execute the Emperor, I found an Elder Scroll, read it at the Throat of the World, and learned the Dragonrend Shout. Then Alduin appeared, as the reading of said Scroll through a time wound brought his attention to it. Oh Parthy and I gave him a good run for his momey. Money. Wait. No. “Mommy” checks out out. “ALDUIN!” I yelled to him. “Care to face me like a Dovah properly this time?

“Wait.” Parthy asked in reply. “You’ve met before?”

“Twice.” I said. “Second time he ran like a chicken before I even got my first shout out.” And then I shouted Dragonrend at Alduin so I could get in close with the Pogo Hammer. After I gave him a firm smack down, he managed to abscond with his tail between his legs. I’ve decided to let him be, for the moment, as I hunt down the emperor. I have bigger fish to fry, Alduin, and you’re not one of them. How does **_that_** make you feel?

* * *

Well, it’s done. The emperor is dead. Completely. A nice man, a shame he had to die, which was why I fulfilled his final request- not because I promised that I would, no, but because it felt like the right thing to do. With that out of the way and the payment received, I returned to Riften to hire a contractor from the Thieve’s guild to restore the new Sanctuary. I Do love what he’s done with the place. Nazir also has found some new initiates. Oh, how time flies. Wasn’t it just weeks ago that I was in that position? It seems being Dragonborn lets me pull off some rather…Incredible things.

Like what, you ask? Well…For example… Convening a peace conference between the Stormcloaks and Imperial leaders for a temporary truce so that the Dragon menace could be dealt with. One mention of Alduin the Coward’s name, and Ulfric agreed to a meeting at High Hrothgar.  General Tully was just as easy to convince, “You can negotiate land!” Heh, and so they came. The Blades, though I do not recall inviting them, also showed up, along with some Thalmor observer. Ulfric almost left at her presence, I convinced him otherwise, of course.

What a boring thing, negotiating a peace treaty. Ulfric and Tully both questioned whose side I was on- though Ulfric more than The good General since he would not even speak to me unless I was a member of the Stormcloaks. Oh, and joining the stormcloaks required me to retrieve a Crown from a Draugr tomb to give to Ulfric… Which I still have on me. When I restart this “War” it will be on my terms– thus the answer to that question. I am on no-one’s side but my own– as Listener of the Dark Brotherhood. As far as I’m concerned, ours is the only noble job around anymore.

And of the Thieve’s guild? Hah. My plan is simple: Once I’ve taken care of Alduin, tracked him down like the coward he is, I will take over their little guild from the inside out, as my foot is already in the door. Heh. They won’t know what’s coming until it’s too late. As Listener, I will ‘subsidize’ them, and make them a branch of the Brotherhood. I do believe that will be most…beneficial to both groups, don’t you agree, journal? Oh, but for now I must close this entry- I have a dragon to capture, thanks to the Jarl of Whiterun’s courtesy… Oh, and the cease fire he himself requested before allowing it. Oh, if only you knew, Jarl, just who exactly you made Thane of your hold.

Dragon Odahviig, prepare yourself! For your name is about to be called, and the Reckoning of your master Alduin The Coward is at hand. This is MY endgame scenario for you, “Devour-er of Worlds.” Once you’re out of the way, pesky insect, I will riddle out the problems of this world once and for all.

* * *

 

And so Alduin dies. Bye world eater, may your soul float aimlessly in the void. Now then, with that out of the way: I write now as Guild Master of the Thieve’s Guild and as a Nightingale. Turns out I needed not to plan a complicated scheme, the current Guild Master was a traitor himself– They named me GM for revealing his treachery.

There’s not much to write here today, as it is very late at night and I am feeling tired from all of this Dragon nonsense. Much as Odahviig said, many dragons refuse to follow Parthy’s Way of the Voice. I’ve killed three thus far– one who was intentionally aggressing Dawnstar, the town above our new Sanctuary. Seems they have yet to hear that Alduin is fully dead- although I am curious considering that rumors are going about that I’ve done the deed. News travels fast, considering I’ve not told a soul about his demise yet.

With good reason: Until I do such, the civil war remains on hold… This jagged crown is quite a trophy. Perhaps I should name myself High Queen?

No. That would be stupid. I’ve amassed much power as it is. But I need to end this war before the Thalmor decide to end it for me. Whomever I back will need much training to defeat them…

And whomever I back will have the full force of the united Dragons on their side. The Thalmor will regret their actions over the last 200 years.

* * *

 

May I just say that I am a firm believer that “Luck” does not matter at all.

That said, Having all these different Deities show up trying to mark me as their ‘champion’ is just annoying. Like removing this “Skeleton Key” had any affect on me- it was removed well before my lifetime began. I’ve wandered over Skyrim, wading through random dungeons, and fighting dragons, killing bandits… Luck is not a thing that ever shall be existing.

Furthermore, I am sorely vexed at Karliah– she forced me to go through this death maze to return the Key only for me to arrive in the final chamber to find her WAITING for me. No, Karliah, I am not your errand-girl. You could have done this yourself! No, shadowed abyss, I am not going to spread your ‘book’ through the world– It is remaining securely locked away in my Haven Bag where none shall find it. No, Esbern, I shall NOT Kill Parthy.

The only one I serve is the Night Mother, and only her. My only duty is to see that my family remains _**safe and protected.**_ Don’t like it, Demons? Then prepare to face the business end of my Pogo Hammer. Of concern, The courier returned one of my letters home today- along with a torn down note from our front door of father’s shop saying that he was on vacation.

Father NEVER goes on vacation. He NEVER leaves the shop unattended for even a minute. The handwriting is shaky at best, as if my father were terrified of something as he wrote it.

I’ve hired the same courier to do more than deliver a letter now. I’ve hired him to break in via the spare key that I always keep on hand and to tell me of what he finds inside upon his return. I gave him a signed note to prove that I indeed did hire him in case anyone is concerned by his presence.

To take my mind off of this, and partially to relieve the stress, I’ve decided to do some more dungeon diving for the moment, having taken a brief resting period after slaying a dragon to write this entry. I severely hope that the situation at home is nothing to be concerned about– merely that my brother has done something stupid that required my parents to leave the shop for a time. I’m…certain everything is fine.

* * *

 

I might be rethinking that luck thing. Just a smidge. I decided to focus more on this one quest that I’d been assigned, probably as a joke, to find 24 “Unusual Gems” that apparently had once been part of a crown. I already had 10 of them by this point, so I cast a modified clairvoyance spell to locate the other 14. SO MANY in places I’d already cleared out! What accursed luck! Well, it doesn’t matter, not really. I got them all… And Vex was shocked when I laid all 24 out onto the table. Then she sent me to find the crown the gems belonged to.

Quite a hunt, that was. But fun. Also, I found a new ice spell. Very explosive. Not so good for stealth though. I woke up an entire nest of beasties with just one shot. Regardless, the hunt done, I turned my attention to some other thieves' guild quests, and some Brotherhood contracts… And during the middle of one, heard back from the courier I sent home… He’d found a dead Thalmor agent lying on the floor surrounded by a lot of blood that couldn’t possibly have all come from him. No sign of my brother or my parents. I… was shocked, to be honest, but at least they hadn’t gone without a fight. I wouldn’t even know when to rewind to. He said it smelled like the man had been lying there for weeks already.

I turned my attention to a misc. quest someone had given me to find evidence that a family member of theirs was held hostage by another family in town. Breaking in, I found a journal saying that he was held in Thalmor custody… I went immediately to rescue the man. …After not so stealthily breaking in, I reached the torture chambers…and found not only the man I’d come to rescue, but my brother as well. Incredibly lucky, the Stormcloak man I’d rescued claimed when I freed them. I was…inclined to believe.

Getting them both out of there was a task, my brother was unconscious, and had an arrow stuck through one knee (Damn Thalmor torturer), so carrying him out was the only option. Once I got him to Shadowmere, with the help of the man I’d come intentionally to rescue, we went our separate ways, me taking my brother to Dawnstar’s Sanctuary, and the Stormcloak heading off into hiding.

On the way, we got attacked by a dragon. Brother woke up during the middle of the fight, certainly was in awe when I absorbed its soul. Once we got to the Sanctuary, and got past all the embarrassing introductions, we got the arrow out of his knee and as healed up as magic and potions will allow. The thing was stuck in there for so long it seemed that his knee had started healing with it inside of it. I think I see now why so many guards complain about arrows to the knee!

For now, I’m just glad to have him safe from the Thalmor.


	9. Unnerving Sensations as War Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was probably written just before the Dragonborn DLC came out... or was it Dawnguard? Can't remember. One of them was announced around this time.

A brief note as I pause at the entrance to a Dwemmer ruin… I fought another dragon in Riften today.

I had an unnerving feel as I absorbed its soul, almost as if the Dragon had been fleeing from something before it decided to attack Riften. Trying to warn me?

The fact that it came straight out of nowhere the moment before it attacked is equally suspicious. Came over the mountains, landed on a building, and started blasting ice everywhere– barely put up a fight, actually.

I don’t know what it was, but… it really felt odd. Like the soul was torn between two points of time at the moment of its death.

Very odd.

More to come later, if I can figure anything out.

* * *

 

I’ve been considering restarting the war after taking care of some… rivals in a thieving guild that popped up. Seems I’m ‘making waves’ going through the actions of minor thievery acts. I’m actually looking forward to seeing more stuff pop up. Heh…

Regardless, on the way to a DB contract, a dragon attacked– The very man I was sent to kill. Amusing. Very much so. I had to kill them both regardless. Even so: it was funny!

I stopped by Helgen, just to see what’s left… Bandits had raided the place, infested it. Bloody pests. Such memories of the place. I found myself taking the same path I’d taken to escape, just to view it all…

Not much to write right now at all, actually. Some random person in Solitude wanted me to find his ‘master’ and so gave me someone’s HIP BONE to gain access to some place….

No. Thank. You.

* * *

 

…I’d rather not talk about the fact that yet another daedric prince has set his eyes on me…and yet…

This “Sheogorath” was actually quite humorous to some degree, being the ‘Prince of Chaos’ as he is called in legend. That said, I don’t appreciate the fact that the man who sent me in after this fellow didn’t tell me who his “master” was to begin with.

…What a pain this has turned out to be.

In any case, I’m currently stumped on a nordic dungeon puzzle, and am heavily considering using this “Shabaawok” or “Wabbajack” or “Shabawaba” item I ‘received’ as ‘reward’ for ‘treating an insane man’s mind’ on this particular gate.

I doubt anything would actually happen, but regardless, this puzzle is getting on my nerves! The controls for this gate seem to be absurdly hidden! Why am I even here? To blow off steam? To practice for the sure-to-come resumed war?

Meh. Doesn’t matter. I put off delivering that crown for so long I can put off delivering this ax for just as long.

An ax. Come on Ulfric. An AX?

* * *

 

And so the war ends almost as soon as it begins. After doing several raids on Imperial forts (I do apologize, Jarl Balgruff of Whiterun, If you had simply chosen to not return that ax…), a raid on Solitude ended it. I didn’t even take the killing blow to Tullius… I let Ulfric do it. Why? Rightly, I believe I don’t quite recall why… However, It would make a better song if I- the Dragonborn- were not even mentioned in the lore. I even asked Ulfric to not thank me in his victory speech.

He owes me for this, and I intend to use this as leverage in the future. “You can have the history books say that you landed the killing blow, Jarl Ulfric, but *I* was the one who got you there.” Should the need arise, that is.

In other news, having defeated the war, I now focus my attempts on solidifying the back-structure of Skyrim– The Dark Brotherhood and the Thieve’s Guild. However, warfare and thievery is very tiring, and so I explored some ruins near Windhelm… “cUrioUs” little spheres of light were following me around the moment I entered the Barrow. At the end- those spheres converged into a Ghost Draugr, the body of which had decayed into a skeleton! Quite unusual, that.

On exiting, I stumbled upon a mis-matched piece of Dwemmer technology! A Tower that can contract into a cube shape and subsequently be moved to anywhere I desire, allowing me to place it elsewhere and create a ‘home’ where ever I wish one to be. This is going to be useful- I’m thinking right now of planting it right outside Dawnstar’s Brotherhood sanctuary primary entrance- to disguise it. Alternatively, I could hide it out in the middle of the ocean and use it as a safe house for my Brother. I think he’d like the place.

Speaking of my dear brother, he seems to have taken up sword-arts to work off the damage to his leg. Dual wielding! Such a magnificent thing! I really should try that some time…But I think I’ll stick to my Hammer and Daggers. Swords are really much more his thing, very heavy handed!

* * *

 

## Dawnguard And Vampires

Well. Today has been…Eventful. Went to Riften on a Contract, and ran into an Orc proclaiming himself to be from the Dawnguard, “Professional Vampire Hunters.” Intrigued, I went to check them out, and found a passage way that really made no sense at all, due to it’s location. But, alas, Paradoxical passageways are not my concern here. Apparently, The Vampires were investigating some ruins. They tasked me with checking it out.

In Riften, I ran into an Argonian, who handed me a Lexicon and asked me to return it to some Dwemmer Ruins. I headed there after visiting the Dawnguard Fort. On the way, I ran into an Orcish Village, under attack by a giant. Their leader was sick, and so the giants sensed that weakness and decided to attack, apparently? Regardless, I have the Troll Fat they requested, now I just need to summon a Daedra somehow to get its heart… Hm…wait, didn’t I encounter something like that in the Midden? I think I still have that key…

Anyways, a lot of lost wanderings around the Hall of the Vigilant, which had apparently been destroyed, one dragon fight, and several bandit deaths later, I found the right cave… The Vampires were after an Elder Scroll! Specifically, an Elder Scroll held hostage by a Vampire girl named Serana, who had been locked away inside that cave!

Long story shorter, she was just as confused as I was about what was going on, and so wished to go ask her father about it. I escorted her across Skyrim during the dead of night just to get her to a boat that could be used to travel to an Island just outside of Solitude. Long story even shorter: Serana’s Father is the Vampire Lord Harkon with no sense of humor at all. I’d jokingly said, when he asked if I knew what he was, “A reclusive cult of cannibalistic people.” He didn’t seem to catch the obvious sarcasm in my voice, although I did hear a few Vampires in his Court chuckling at my comment, Serana included.

Regardless, I turned down his “Reward” of vampirism, and he “Gracefully” banished me from his castle instead of outright killing me. Now I’m back at Dawnstar, trying to plot my next set of movements carefully. An Imperial Courier somehow managed to open the door to the Sanctuary, ran through it, and exited through our secret entrance/exit. I’d assumed that perhaps maybe he was delivering something to a member, but….No. He didn’t.

And now he’s dead. Can’t be too careful.

* * *

 

## Moth Priest?

Why do I even bother helping out people when it’s clear that I’m just being dragged into another deity’s dirty work? So I summoned a Daedra with that glove in the Midden. Took a while to get the rings though, had to freeze time and make use of the slow opening of the crate to get out of sight before anyone saw that it was me who opened it. Anyways, killed that Daedra, got his heart, and took his gear, then went to that Orc village. The leader was a fool, and dragged me along to clear the path of giants so he could kill a giant. Then he ran like a coward when he was supposed to fight. Then: he tried to KILL ME once I’d beaten the Giant. Good grief, really? That’s the best you’ve got? Kill the person who just took down a GIANT for you?

Anyways, returned to Ft. Dwngrd, and found it under siege of vampires. Oh joy. Isran sent me to find some recruits once he heard what I had to say about Serana having an Elder Scroll. Only, once I did my job and GOT those recruits, Serana was there at the Fort WITH the Scroll *and* had been claiming to have information she would only share with me. I…I give up. Apparently the Scroll knows what her father is up to, regarding some sort of ancient prophecy he found years back that required Serana to be locked up and…

Can I just say how tired I am of this Elder Scroll Nonsense? So, we need someone trained in reading Scrolls to go read the Elder Scroll we have to find out what it is Harkon is up to, despite the fact that I’ve used one to look through time and space to learn a Shout. So we first headed to Riften to ask the carriage driver about a Moth Priest, who gave some nonsense answer about maybe or maybe not seeing one, and then we were attacked by a vampire raiding party! Really? What is it with Riften and being attacked by monsters? So then we went to the college of Winterhold, and spoke to the Orc I’d given an Elder Scroll to. He said a Moth Priest HAD come through to look at the scroll, and then had gone off to Dragon’s Bridge!

Serana and I are resting in the local Inn at the moment, having spent the rest of the night inquiring about the Priest, and finding that NOBODY has SEEN HIM. …Just what in Oblivion are we supposed to do NOW? On a side note, during the hunt for those two recruits, I ended up hunting for materials to repair this “White Phial” which I’d recovered for an ill elf who ran an alchemy shop in Windhelm. He barely got to see it repaired before he died. The poor man. I don’t know what I’m going to do with this bottle now though. Oh well.

 


	10. Leave it to a Kid.

Leave it to a kid to know what the adults refuse to tell or refuse to see. (Everyone in dragons bridge STILL believes the war to be ongoing) After a night of fruitlessly asking people about Moth priests, this kid walking his dog…. He saw the man leave not several minutes earlier via cart. After Serana and I caught up with the ruins of said cart (Ironically not too far down the road from a PREVIOUS ambush), we found that the priest had been captured and brought to a cave nearby.

The rescue was simple enough. And once we returned to Ft. Dwngrd, we had Serana’s Scroll read…And found out we needed TWO other scrolls… One of which I had already SOLD to Urag, the Librarian at the Winterhold college. (I then bought it back, for half cost, being the Arch-Mage) Serana revealed that her mother most likely had the other Elder Scroll…As for where her mother was? Hiding in the castle somewhere, and yet, NOT! She had opened a portal to a place called the “Soul Cairn” and had exiled herself there with the Elder Scroll.

Getting there was a pain. I needed to have my soul partially trapped inside a gem (I need to get it back once we  Finish cleaning up here) in order to enter. So we wandered, freed Serana’s mother from her trap, and apparently I befriended another dragon by defeating them? Oh well, anyways, turns out the priest went blind with the latest reading and left us high and dry. blUh. Anyways, so I had to read the three scrolls, and got a map burned in my mind for it.

After following a Snow Elf Magic Initiate’s path for what really was way too long of a time (damn waygates were scattered all over the place, and too much back and forth between ice paths and Falmer dens), we found the bow’s current owner- the vampire who had MADE the damned prophecy that had started this whole mess! Serana and I gave him what was coming- death- and took the bow to confront her father.

Harkon was too stubborn to even listen to my comments that the prophecy was a farce, created not by mystic energies but instead by a crazed Vampire Elf! …Well, he got what was coming to HIM. Time frozen so I could punch him point blank with arrows. When he tried TELEPORTING out of that? Well… It didn’t work so well for him. His ashes wound up on one side of the room and his skeleton on another.

Now, then, Serana and I have a soul-gem to recover, and adventures to be had! Maybe now that this is all over with I’ll introduce her to Caliborn and the rest of the “family” in Dawnstar. I imagine she and Babette would hit it off fairly well, both being vampires, after all.

* * *

 

## Breaking Even

Serana and I have parted ways for the time being, she and her mother are now reunited after so long, and I have successfully collected the missing part of my soul after traipsing around what seems to be hell for trapped souls.

There’s not too much to say about what I’ve done the last few days, only that I still need to give these three Elder Scrolls to Urag, along with these cUrious Falmer books. Although, I may venture back into the Soul Cairn to find the rest of these documents that someone wrote while there.

For now, however, I think I may focus on dungeon crawling. That really seems to be the best focus of my skills at the moment, I think. Although, I did stumble upon an Admeri Dominion hide away. I may spend the next few days investigating their activities, and seeing what I can do to stop them.

Dark Brotherhood contracts are seemingly cycling around through familiar territory for me, but I honestly don’t mind that one bit. It gives me a chance to hone my skills a bit on the repetitive missions. Also, out of Curiosity, my brother asked to read one of the Scrolls. I am hesitant to do such, but I believe if I take him to that place where I read those three scrolls, he may be able to divine something from them safely.

I also have a cUrious candle mold that I picked up somewhere, I might start investigating that to see what it’s for. Alternatively, I have picked up various personally owned items on bandit raids. I may start using my Thieves Guild contacts to see about returning these items to their owners.

* * *

 

## Dwarven Time

Well, there’s not much to report right now, I’m exploring some dwarven ruins…

It is MASSIVE.

I just exited a massive lava chamber. The construction of this place is massively impressive. I don’t care that I just used massive three times in a row. It is simply that big!!! I’m taking a break at the moment to make note of this, however, as I’ve just finished clearing a room of mages. I swear, If I hadn’t made myself immortal all those weeks (Months?) ago, I wouldn’t have made it this far without heavy rewinding. (Even then, I’ve resorted to it once already!!) More to come later, I suppose.

* * *

 

I wasn’t expecting one of these ruins to be haunted! How curious… The Dwemer sure are crafty! But I am getting rather sick of these bandits all over the place. I had to use my rewind ability once to avoid setting off a trap! Tonal locks. These dwemmer sure do love their sound locks! (speaking of, I should investigate these crimson roots that I’d found before. Maybe later.)

I’m amazed that the Dwemer managed to make etherial energy physical! Of course, they probably got the idea from the ghosts that haunt, But yet…I am simply amazed that they could make anything like this at all! Four pieces of the same ‘shield’ broken up across four Dwemer ruins! I’m glad that the other three pieces were located in places I’d explored before, finding them would have been a tad difficult otherwise.

In the end, I found the forge the Ghost had died (relatively recently, in fact) searching for. I now own an Aetherium Circlet that can hold in the effects of the previous Standing stone that I’d used. Quite useful, I think I can stack the effects on top of each other if I do it right.

I do so wish I could meet a Dwemer one day. I think we would get along nicely.

* * *

 

## reUnions

As expected, my brother and Serana hit it off quite well. That said, everyone at the Sanctuary did seem to like her as well. Due to her not really having any other place to go other than Ft. Dwngrd, I offered her a place at the Dwarven tower I’d found some time back, which has since been relocated to the exterior of the primary entrance of the Sanctuary. Due to said entrance being far out of the way, the tower itself is not immediately visible inside Dawnstar proper. QUite curious.

My little tower has been stocked up fairly well at the moment, and I think it soon shall be a permanent fixture of the Sanctuary! If I can figure out how to duplicate the return rings, I can give them to the other members, and should they need to make quick escapes, they could use the rings to do such!

I’ve done some more wandering, found some more Nordic ruins, discovered some word walls, slayed some dragons (Four in total today! Why, I must ask, do they keep aggressing people who wander past?)

However, I do believe that I am going to go investigate the Blackreach cavern, located far underneath Skyrim. I really need to look into this “Crimson Ninroot” thing, as well as suss out if there indeed is a dragon down there (I’ve heard some shout echos when I neared Blackreach entrances) and if so, how the bloody thing got down there!

In other business, I’ve done some quick jobs for the Thieve’s Guild. Mostly the usual Shill and Sweep jobs, but… Delven offered me a custom job from someone in Whiterun! Apparently someone wasn’t too happy about the Stormcloak occupation, and so wanted to ‘stick it’ to them while also rescuing an old friend of theirs from the headsman in Solitude (What a brUtal display!). That done, simply enough, and I think soon enough that my little web of mayhem through Skyrim shall be stable enough to begin considering branching out elsewhere. I hear the Companions are recruiting… Perhaps I can some how get to be the head of their little group?

* * *

 

After thoroughly mapping Blackreach (while also searching for 30 crim-roots!), Serana and I went to a small farm that I’d discovered sometime back, which had been mentioned in a journal I’d found during the mapping. Once that man’s final request was done, and the farmers had the crim-roots, I’ve been wandering almost randomly between jobs.

Dawnstar had been plagued by nightmares for some time now, although I had no clue what to do about it. Eventually, however, a man arrived in town who was inquiring about it. Together, we entered a ruin, which I had earlier investigated due to it making a peculiar banging noise (which also seemed to stop when we entered the building!), and from there we destroyed an object that was the source of all of our troubles.

Most of the Thieve’s Guild jobs I did were fairly simple…excluding one. It was a simple Fishing Job. BY OBLIVION that woman’s reaction times were simply off the charts! Even with time frozen, Each time I went to grab that necklace of hers, she would grab my hand and I would be forced to rewind! Even when she was asleep her reaction times were simply…! In the end, I had to hunt down the three men she’d bedded over the last month, courtesy of her daughter wanting to see her squirm, and brought the evidence of her actions before the woman. In her distressed state, I was easily able to take the necklace off of her person… But even so…!

Also in Riften, I had a job to steal a horse, and bring it to the rightful owner! …Not much to say there, but it was quite a confusing night. I also need to find some kind of magic quill in a lake. Elsewhere, More Dragons attack! What a bloody mess! There indeed was one in Blackreach, and he was a tough one to kill! No clue where he was hiding, but a simple FUS RO DAH at Blackreach’s artificial sun brought him out.

Boy am I exhausted. I … I still need to pull off a bedlam job in Whiterun. I just remembered that. … Speaking of Whiterun, I was to steal a necklace from someone I knew… So I cheated a little, and as Lydia’s Thane, I traded her plain golden necklace for three golden jeweled ones! She seemed quite pleased by the trade! What else was there…? OH! Yes! That CUrious silver mold I’d found before! I’ve found it’s owner! Coincidentally, I had it on hand when I went to meet a Thieves' guild contract. He was simply amazed by my talents, having pulled off a job before he even wanted it pulled off! Although I still don’t know what it makes, I’m simply glad I managed to pull that off!

Finally for this entry, I followed a water-breathing fox through the ocean towards a nordic ruin! How…odd! The fox simply *swam* without surfacing for breath once the entire time! (I had to surface several times just to keep up, however. My lungs are not meant for aquatic use.) The end result is a conjureable familiar who can charge into battle before exploding! That could be handy, I suppose?

 


	11. Guild Master of Wyrmstooth

Well, having completed most of the tasks given me by Vex and Delvin, I was finally decided ‘ready’ to be Guild master of the Thieve’s Guild. It was a simple ceremony, nothing too elaborate. Some people are acting rather “bone-headed stupid”, according to a description my brother gave, and I’m inclined to believe him more so. A lot of people, despite news traveling very fast in Skyrim, seem to have missed the news of other things! Such as the war being over, or someone being dead…?

Curiously, my compass seems to have been damaged at some point- It’s been refusing to show the locations of where I’ve set it to show me. Odd, but not too bad, anyways. A few things that appear off are at least relatively close by. Also, randomly found the owner of a missing instrument, and recovered some lost armor a soldier had lost once.

Raided some more dungeons today, and ran into someone very stupid. Didn’t look where she was running- stepped right into a spike plate. SqUish! Did some DB contracts as well. A few familiar ones, others not so familiar. I swear this one “Grave digger” has resurrected herself multiple times by now! Eh, although just before that one of the Crypt keepers said that the cold weather did keep bodies fresh… Perhaps I’m not finishing the job well enough?? I don’t know!

* * *

 

It seems the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! I was hired to help slay a dragon that had been terrorizing trade routes. This dragon was luring people towards his personal ‘grotto’ on a nearby island called Wyrmstooth! He wanted us- well, me specifically I suppose- to become a part of his army.

“BlUh!” I say, “Forget that!”

I had to travel across Skyrim finding mercenaries to help with this fight- and I do agree that if I had not had their help, I would have been over run by the dragon’s existing army. Such a mess! Furthermore, dragons have become a bit more rambunctious in their attack patterns as of late. First this beasty of an Alduin wanna-be (He even had the same meteorite shower shout! How cUrioUs.), and now I get twin dragons attacking Winterhold?

Quite a mess indeed.

Underneath the island was a rather large Dwemer City, much like Blackreach. I really must map it more one of these days. Regardless- this dragon was more of  a pain to deal with than Alduin. He flat out IGNORED my Dragonrend shout up until the end where we finally got him down to the ground. Other shouts of mine simply bounced right off of his skin as if I hadn’t done a thing! It took a lot of physical arrows and some stamina draining spells before we finally took him down.

What in Oblivion is going on with the Dragons as of late? I’m tempted to go talk to Parthy about this, but something tells me he won’t have a clue either. I came across a dragon near the Atronarch stone as I’ve been hunting Jazbay grapeberries- clearly aggressing two Vigilants AND a Vampire! The bloody thing would just not go down! Nearly blinded me several times during the fight. I finally managed to land a hit with Dragonrend, and once I did, I kept laying it on so I could pepper him with arrows (Very stress relieving after that last fight in Wyrmstooth).

Honestly, things seem quite….Odd. I must do some investigation to see if there is anything else up in the world that might be stirring them Up!

* * *

 

Well, “Today” has been fun. Went on some dungeon crawls- those are always fun- also did some thieves gUild business that took a long while to accomplish. Oh- and I ran into Babette out in the middle of a frozen wasteland. We chatted for a while as we walked back to Dawnstar- and as we passed through Winterhold- a Dragon Attacked! Bloody Oblivion, these beasties are getting more and more excitable!

I took care of that- and continued on through some other areas. Soon enough, I ended up losing track of Babette.  While I tried to find her, I stumbled upon some some Werewolf hunters! How despicable, locking them up like that. Also, during our walk, we ran into an Argonian who I apparently encountered during my drunken ‘night to remember’ some time ago. I didn’t recognize the man at all. So I paid him off for his troubles, and we went on our way.

I took care of a few other pesky Dragur dens, and cleared out a few mines of spiders. Also, I wound up fighting a dragon with nothing but these “Force” spells I’d acquired at some point. The Guards helping me fight it got in the way however- all three are dead, and I don’t know whether from my hands or the Dragon’s teeth. Oh well. I’ve been trying to locate the Dragon’s roost to root out if it happens to have a Word Wall near it or not. No luck on that so far, but I DID see some spectacUlar views as payment for my troubles! Now onto my rant:

It took me SEVERAL rewinds to pickpocket a single woman. Good Grief, these Companions are simply Too Good! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they had the instincts of a wild animal! In the end, after trying so many, many times (She seemed to be getting smugger each time she caught me on a rewind), I finally got her by distracting her with this “Get Over Here” spell I ‘learned’ from Whiterun’s mage. While she was getting up, I simply sneaked the gem out of her pockets.

That’s all for now, dear journal.

* * *

 

Well. This got complicated. After I found the dragon’s peak (And another dragon as well!) I went on thieves guild business to Markarth- and was hassled by two cUltists!! They approached me, and asked if I was the one called Dragonborn. When I told them such- they stood there for a few moments, and then blindly attacked! Everyone was rather mad by this- but I dispatched them easily enough.

And then I found a note- decrying me to be a “False” Dragonborn and insisting that I should be dealt with before I come to somewhere called Solthieme or Solsteim or Something. With that done, I went off to Riften to tell the Thieves Guild that I was leaving for a short while to investigate someone named “Miraak” who was sending people to kill me. They were understandably upset- but as I left, I was given warning about a nearby tower that seemed to be potentially ‘dark.’ Not wanting to take chances, I went to investigate.

It was a Haggraven den- and then I discovered something truly horrifying about those birds– THEY BECOME THAT WAY THROUGH A RITUAL! Bloody Oblivion what—!!! A woman’s mother was going to become one, and she did NOT want her to go through with it. So we ascended the tower, but before we exited it— The world seemed to hiccup. I felt that sensation that I do when I rewind, but like…like someone else had used it! It happened a few more times in that single moment- at one point it actually trapped my companion inside a wall for several moments!- and then….things became calm again.

We dealt with the woman’s mother, and with that- I left for Solthstime(?) via boat in Windhelm. The boat’s captain mentioned that he’d taken the cultists across a several day journey- and that he remembered none of it. With a deal of Revenge, I hired his boat and he’s presently taking me to the island.

* * *

 

This island is absurd.

Everyone seems to be in some sort of trance, and mere mention of the name “Miraak” gives them what near-amounts to a whiplash of memory! Everything points to the nearby shrine and the “Temple” further inland. I’ve done some cautious investigating of the shrine- and inexplicably found out what’s causing the madness- TOUCHING these “Waystone” like objects. Something is corrupting them from elsewhere! I dare not touch it again- for one touch had me working along side many others into building a massive structure around it. I think it was my Dragon Soul that prevented me from staying that way.

A nearby mage found it curious, but I ignored him for now. I traveled the island a bit- doing some more investigating. Insanity! Insanity all around! This island- part of Morrowind- is half buried in ash. There’s…a curious effect that makes men made out of this ash spawn at will! I haven’t found what causes them yet- although I did stop a resurrected zombie of a man who was sending them intentionally on attacks.

I’ve found some mages that are practicing absurd spells too- watched one of them fling himself into the sky by thinking he could fly– and then promptly crashed back into the ground again. There is much hints of madness here. A Mage was practicing an “Ash guardian” spell nearby…his sister? His co-worker? a while ago, and when I came by to revisit them- the woman was dead and he seemed indifferent.

I found the “Temple of Miraak” finally– littered with dragon skeletons. Suddenly I got a bad vibe from this place. It got worse when I stumbled upon a Skaald woman who was trying to get her fellow villagers away from the place. As we discussed what was going on- More Cultists appeared to attack us! I quickly sent one flying into the horizon with the Pogo hammer- and together we slayed the other before entering the temple- and then I learned who Miraak was.

He is a Dragonborn just like I am.

And he is returning.

As we descended through Miraak’s temple, a sense of dread grew and grew. Miraak was a Dragon Priest who had turned against the Dragons upon discovering he was Dragonborn. Something happened- from his betrayal I’m guessing- and Miraak’s temple was razed to the ground by the Dragons. So what happened to make them so mad?

I’m guessing it’s due to this ‘black book’ I’ve found…but more on that in a moment. Miraak’s temple is absolutely FILLED with traps, cultists, and draugr. After reaching the core of the temple- we found this odd black book. It felt…Evil. But touching It- I was teleported to another realm- Apochrypha. I met MIraak briefly- he shocked me with lightning before I could get the drop on him- and he *Boasted* his powers by shouting a glowy aspect thing around his body.

To top it all off- he hopped onto a dragon and rode it out into the distance.

Then I woke up- and went to the Skaald’s village- where I found out that the whole town was enslaved- with only a few free from Miraak’s control. The Village elder sent me to a nearby Dragon peak to learn one of Miraak’s own shouts- so that I could use it to break the control on the “Earth Stone” that was holding the villagers captive. I ended up fighting many Draugr and a Dragon during that climb to get that one shout fragment.

Then as I slayed the dragon- Miraak somehow STOLE the soul away from me! I couldn’t hear what he was saying over the roar of the storm around me, but I could tell he was being condescending from the one line I heard clearly. Something about “Controlling a Dragon’s Soul.”

Whatever it was- that was the last straw. You can try to control an island- but you are not- I REPEAT ARE NOT going to steal a Dragon’s soul away from me.

I destroyed his little shrine around the stone entrapping the Skaald villagers with his own Shout- and I plan on doing it to the rest once I get out of this…Realm of Oblivion.

* * *

 

I destroyed another ‘shrine’ of Miraak’s, In the process freeing some oddly speaking…creatures no taller than I am. I think they felt that even though I was small- I was powerful. They’ve been having me go about doing odd tasks for them- one presently requiring me to find ten ‘red grass’ things which are actually some local form of spiky bush.

As I went along- I found that mage from before- and together we approached a nearby dwemmer ruin that contained another “Black Book” that would help me find Miraak’s own source of powers. After what was probably a needlessly more excruciatingly tiring expedition than was worth- I managed to get my hands on that Black Book- and found myself wandering this realm- Apochrypha or however its spelled- trying to get the second word of power to Miraak’s “Bend Will” shout.

Upon locating the final ‘book’, I found myself confronted by one of the Daedric princes I’ve snubbed in the past. He gave me the second word of power freely- though the “Third” he said requires me to find some secrets from the Skaald. I’m not too opposed to doing such- though I maintain that I’d rather not bow to the whims of a chaotic individual like this floating eyeball- it’s just that I can’t.

Nothing I’ve tried thus far will ‘wake’ me up to reality. I suspect that I’ve fully been transported to this realm in body, mind, and soul. I don’t know how I can escape except…Maybe a portal spell? I’ll have to try that. I think I left half of a portal in a Dwemmer Ruin earlier…

* * *

 

Portal Spell Out of Apochrypha worked. Wound up in a Dwemer ruin I’d left half of a portal in before. Brilliant escape, I think!

I also found this cute little Dwemer Spider…That didn’t attack me on sight!! QUite a qUaint little thing!! I’ve placed it into my Haven bag for now. It seems happy there.

I’ve gone and hunted down the remaining stones that required purification. Miraak’s beefed up security on them- two Lurkers on the one, and a cultist, lurker, and Dragon combo on the other.

Regardless- they’ve been purified, and I managed to steal a Dragon out from Miraak. I froze Time and absorbed the soul before unfreezing it.

I’ve uncovered a few other Barrows- as well as stumbled upon another piece of armor from this ‘treasure’ set some pirates buried. Two of four- apparently.

At this moment- I stand on a waterfall cliff writing this, so I apologize for the water spots on this and other pages


	12. A DRAGON’S WILL - To be fulfilled

Miraak is dead. That much I can say for certain. His body burned up like any other dragon’s would- nothing but a skeleton was left. But getting there…? That was a pain. I returned to the Skaal village, and spoke to the Shaman who was protecting it… I wanted to make it clear I didn’t want him to do it but…he went ahead and read the book. I was expecting his body to be teleported away or at-least partially ‘away’ like I’d been…Herma-mora had other plans.

The poor shaman was killed by the tentacles emerging from the book, and the Daedric Prince appeared from it as he greedily absorbed the man’s knowledge. I attacked him for that- but not even my fire-shout could affect him. I have a headache just thinking of it. That murdering prince gave me the third word to the shout- and with that I left to his realm to hunt down Miraak. Getting to him was just as trap filled as it was getting through his temple. Which makes sense considering this particular book was the one I found inside the temple. It was all a part of the same dungeon. Once I got to the last area- I found a word wall, and a dragon. I used the full “Bend Will” shout to get the Dragon free of Miraak’s control, and he took me up to the tower in the sky- where Miraak was preparing himself…We fought. It was a long and hard fight- and it was more of a slap in the face for me than for him, I believe.

He used shouts that I knew against me: If I were too close- Whirlwind!- He’d be across the room. If I were about to land a critical hit- AURA!- he’d be intangible. What was even more absurd that he couldn’t help but to cheat- Every time I whittled him down to near death- he did something at long range that absorbed one of the circling dragon’s souls. By the time the fight was over- I could barely move across the field without tripping over one of their skeletons.

Finally- just as I was about to land the killing blow- that Prince intervened again. Herma-Mora back stabbed his own “servant,” telling him that he’d been replaced. As Miraak’s dragon soul was absorbed into mine, Herma-Mora offered me more knowledge of his… I turned him down by portalling out through the one I’d left on Solsthime- and returned to the village to let them know that Miraak was dead.

When I arrived- I learned that the local smith had been dragged off by elves to the south west. I decided to follow up on that- and discovered some Thalmor conspiracy on the island to get some ‘Strahrlm’ weapons. I Freed the smith- and convinced the Thalmor to give me their map and leave at once- or their lives were forefit.

They gave me the map- but never left. I slayed them with my cross bow at long range. Never even knew it was me up until there was only one of them left.

* * *

During my time here on Solsthime, I’ve funded a barrow excavation. That is partially why I’ve remained on this island for so long after defeating Miraak. There are many things here on this island that still do not make any sense- One of which are the numerous Nordic Tombs identical to ones in Skyrim.

A few of them are very odd! One of them was home to a Dragon Priest that was- apparently- the one who discovered Miraak’s treachery! It’s a good thing this guy was here- I think- or else Miraak may have escaped before I knew it!

But even so- the puzzles in that tomb were impossible. He could never have come to fight Miraak should he have escaped. The puzzles were strictly one way only. And then there’s the mine. Raven Rock Mine- closed for years now due to it ‘drying up.’ In actuality- the miners had stumbled into another tomb!

But this one wasn’t in ‘victory’ of Miraak’s banishment. This was another of Miraak’s hidden temples. The Dragon Priest at the end of this one summoned a Lurker from Apocrypha! And his mask…This dragon priest was clearly a follower of Miraak and Herma-Mora.

And what he was guarding…? Another of Miraak’s black books.

I’m sitting in front of it right now having written this and the previous page. I think- just in case- I shall leave a portal here- and take the book. Should it trap me inside Apocrypha like the others, I’ll simply portal back out. Regardless- I can’t let this book fall into the wrong hands.

Herma-Mora’s given me his ‘books’ before- and I think the only way I can keep these things safe from the world is to lock them away into my haven bag. If there are any more of them on this island, I’ll take them all and hide them away. I *will not* let Herma-Mora’s influence spread through the world.

In other news, I ran into a relative of Delvin’s- of the Thieves' Guild- all the way out here. I’m currently holding the pic-ax he asked me to retrieve for him. I imagine that’ll be a surprise to Delvin when I return to Skyrim.

* * *

 

Simply adding an addendum- Took the book, and once again it refuses to return me back. My portal trick worked like a charm.

Now I have a lovely two handed sword at my disposal. Nice big red waves of energy when I use it.

It’s a tad heavy for my liking though. I was weighed down a lot from simply having it on me.

Also- returned the pic-ax to Delvin’s relative- and he let me keep it after all that- and returned the journal to the grand son of the person who went to investigate the tomb.

Soon enough, I’ll bet, the mine and town of Raven Rock will be booming with business!

Now then- I should investigate this barrow entrance I found a key for. I know where it goes to, I just haven’t unlocked it yet. It’s off on the coast- a door on an island off of an island. How quaint.

I don’t want any more black books hanging around. I’ve already got three of these hefty tomes stuck in my possession. If I knew a way to destroy them…!

* * *

 

## Spy ring and Houses

That was fun.

While taking a short break from searching from Black Books, I was approached by the man whom I met at the docks- he had a job for me!

Apparently the person just above him on the immediate scale of power was in danger of being killed. He wanted me to go and find out who was plotting against him! So I followed some clues- all that usual sneaky spy stuff- and found out which family in town was the suspected culprits by hiding in a tomb. After that- I was instructed to sneak into their house to find any evidence supporting this suspicion- which I found in the form of a letter inside of a safe.

I delivered the letter to the authorities, and went to the place mentioned in the letter to be where the assassins were waiting. I took care of them all- and, in return, I was rewarded with their house for my troubles. Not too bad for a day’s work.

In other news, I now have an assignment that takes me back to Skyrim- I must look at a Forsworn BriarHeart’s Briar Heart!! What fun. It won’t be too much trouble now that I have a house here on the island- a Portal here, a Portal there- poof! I’m traveling days worth of travel in single seconds!

I’ll take care of that once I’m sure this island is clear of books. I have a suspicion that these Rikelings are hoarding one away somewhere. Another suspicion of mine is that there’s one in the barrow excavation I’ve been funding. Only time will tell if either is true.

* * *

 

I was right- The Rieklings were hoarding a book away in one of their Nordic Tomb conquests. Finding it was no easy task though. Also another correct deduction- there was a book hidden away in the Barrow I’ve been funding the excavation of. Poor Ralis was only digging the tomb out because the Dragon Priest inside was messing with his mind. I shudder to think of all the lives lost because of this one book. But regardless…

After doing a thorough sweep of the island- I believe that it is clear of all Black Books. This makes seven all in all- with my having taken the one from Tel Mytherin (am I spelling that right? I doubt it.) and the mage who was studying the books. I felt safer with these all together- and nowhere near prying eyes. I’ve now sealed them all away within my Haven bag- where they shall never see the light of Day or Night ever again.

Take that: Herma-Mora!

I’ve returned to Skyrim now, and reunited with Serana for some simple adventures. I’ve got a portal bridge across Solsthime and Skyrim from my little tower in Dawnstar, which makes transportation a lot easier than hiring a boat. Also of interest are the new “Skygates” that seem to have been installed since my last visit to Skyrim- I believe Ulfric’s had these Dwemer artifacts installed for ease of transport across the holds and various locations now that the war’s over with. They seem to have been here for a little while, anyways, as most people seem used to them already!

Though I do wish I could find one in Dawnstar- that would make getting around so much easier. Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places…? Who knows. I still need to give a look around at everything- maybe they haven’t finished installing the rest of them yet?? Doesn’t matter right now, anyways. In Thieves' Guild related matters- I’ve delivered a letter to one Sapphire, from her hence-unknown father who is living in Solsthime. I wouldn’t have known it if he hadn’t let me take whatever I liked from his basement.

Fate works in funny ways, I guess. He chickened out on sending the letter, so I acted as Courier! Just another title to add to my long list of them, I suppose.

* * *

 

Thanks to my continued efforts in helping Neloth with his research- I’ve now been declared a part of his house. This means nothing at the moment- but in a few years when he returns to Morrowind, apparently I shall be regarded as nobility!! What LUCK. If I wish to- I can now expand out from Skyrim to other parts of Tamriel. Which is a nice change of pace. I suppose?

I found Dawnstar’s Gate, just a bit away from one of the Brotherhood entrances. Also- I had to slay a dragon soon after that. Quite pesky. As well as doing that- I decided to break into the house of that man I’d been invited to visit via courier- and then subsequently killed on one of my contracts with the brotherhood. Irony. Haa Haa. Hoo Hoo. BlUh.

Regardless- I do wonder what this man was up to- he had quite the collection of artifacts in display cases. A set of enchanted robes- a collection of books I really need to finish reading- and a few daedric artifacts that were mysteriously intangible. I suspect this one piece of cloth/paper that I observed is from one of Herma-Mora’s books. I can’t confirm anything however.

In other news- I managed to complete some errands in Falkreath that I’d been assigned- one of which from a Skaal woman who was born in Skyrim. In an odd twist of fate- A Dawnguard errand sent me back to Solsthime! I had to converse an rather odd maze of Dwemmer gears in order to find some cross-bow bolt diagrams. What a pain. Why do the Dwemer build such constructs? Oh well- at least I’ve found another ‘resonance gem.’ I can explore more ruins later.


	13. Vampires Dance when Dragonpriests Cry

Ugh. These Vampires are indeed becoming a nuisance. Just last night a Vampire assassin came out of nowhere to try to kill me! I slayed them, and have been trying to figure out where their coven is…but no luck there so far. Also- as I went around doing my usual DB/TG rounds, I ran into the old Jarl of Riften and her court…seemingly still working their old jobs.

I don’t quite understand why they’re back in power- but I don’t want to question it at all. Miss Black-Briar is never in the court room, so I never could get the jobs that pointed me to the Keep done!…Until now. I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but even so, it’s quite odd! But even so- I managed to get many things accomplished easily that I’d been putting off- even ending a Skooma Dealing operation that I’ve been trying to end for a while now.

But of course- this oddity wouldn’t go unnoticed. A VAMPIRE had infiltrated her court!! Isran and the Dawnguard sent me to warn her about it. Which I’ve done. Though not without copious amounts of rewind-point saving. At one point I slayed the vampire and before I could tell the Jarl about it, she and her court had vanished from Riften entirely! So I played it differently, hoping to undo whatever odd magic that vampire had cast on them to make them disappear…

It seems to have worked this time- and the Jarl even rewarded me with the title of Thane *AND* a House in Riften for my troubles- but the Vampires just are NOT giving up! One coven went to all the trouble to kidnap some random girl that I Apparently knew somehow. I don’t recognize her at all, although she’s… quite… friendly. Did I meet her during my drunken night?? Goodness, I hope not- things are still weird from that one night as it is.

In other news- Dragons are getting bolder. I suspect that Herma-Mora might be subtly influencing things to make me use his books… Why do I say that? Because not this very morning I had to fight off TWO Dragons at the College of Winterhold. And before that I had to fight TWO MORE just outside of Riften. This is- altogether- the Fourth time this has happened.  It’s getting quite annoying.

* * *

 

If I recall correctly, it’s been about a Year now since I first came to Skyrim.

My Brother commented this morning that my hair seemed longer, and after I undid the braid on my side, I realized he was right. It’s brushing against my shoulders now- last I remember before entering Skyrim it was quite a bit higher.

I don’t have much to say here other than that I’ve been doing the usual- Thieves Guild, Brotherhood, and Dawnguard related tasks.

Vampires seem to be hiding out on Solsthime now too- one of them infiltrated some bandits hiding in this house over a small Dwemmer ruin. I wonder where it leads if it continues on anywhere? Seems to be a dead end for now.

In other news- I’ve purchased housing in Riften and Whiterun. Not sure what I’ll do with them, but they seem to be decent enough places to rest should I need to.

Also- apparently at some point my actions in helping Riften’s Jarl has made me Thane. Did I write this before? I don’t recall if I did or not. Regardless- it’s a pleasant surprise- and I’ve got someone to guard my house in Riften now.

I’ll have to see about the other Holds and towns…I suppose I’ve got to do something with all this coin I’ve collected!!

* * *

 

What. A. Farce.

I don’t know what to say, honestly. Ulfric sent me a report by way of Messenger that there was some suspicious activity by way of men going missing near a tomb just behind Riften during the war. Both Imperials and Stormcloaks alike have gone missing- and I can see why Ulfric was concerned. This tomb is a death trap! One of the last installations of the Dragon Priests during the Dragon War. As it turns out, there was an Altmer outside of it- guiding people along into the ruins with the same rehearsed speech- tricking wayward soldiers and travelers into investigating it’s insides.

This “Captain” wanted a mask and staff from the inside of the ruin- both held by the Dragon Priest who lived here! And… Good grief this was insane. Even this ‘god immortality’ whisper I placed on myself failed in here. I died and ended up resetting to Dawnstar just before I received the courier’s message.  What a pain! A whole day’s journey- wasted! And I’d just discovered a new household as well. Had to find the doorway AGAIN- though it was slightly easier knowing where it was this time around.

Even so- this tomb… I had to do the unthinkable several times and just RAN through the tomb with time frozen. These Draugr Death Lords were simple enough to take out if not for their NUMBERS. And then there were the massive amount of GHOSTS in there as well!! BlUh. Right now, I sit in Fort Dawnguard, resting up after that ordeal. The “Captain” was surprised to see me escaping from the building once I’d actually done what he’d asked- as a Stormcloak.

He was presently dressed up as an Imperial Captain giving the EXACT same speech to an Imperial soldier. This Altmer was a Thalmor agent, according to his orders, which specify a location near Labryinthian. Curiously, that household I’d discovered had statues for nine Dragon Priest masks- And this latest one makes Eight. I wonder if these two structures are related in any way? I suppose I’ll find out once I investigate that place again.

* * *

 

I investigated Labryintihan. Found some things I’d missed on other trips. One was Shalidor’s Maze- created by the man whose books I’ve fetched for the Library at the College. It was cold. Snowy. I forgot to clear the skies until the very end, when the storm was so bad I was having a hard time even finding my way around. But this wasn’t the place I was looking for.

Near by- however- was a small chamber which has clearly seen better days. There was a set of statues like in the building I’d found, but they were all ruined. Unusable. However- it seemed that someone had found a way around that problem. A skeleton lay there on the pedestal along with a mask and a note. The Mask has warping properties within that room- a sort of temporal bubble. Once I donned the mask, I found the room whole, and intact. I was able to- indeed- retrieve the Ninth mask from this statue by using the other eight as keys!

Clever, Dragon Priests, clever.

However, as I was there, I heard people talking outside the room (which at this point was locked tight, and I was unable to exit). Apparently a Dragon had sunk a tower just recently- outside of present day Solitude I’ll note- and whomever it was who were talking did not sound happy about it. Were they Greybeards, perhaps? I suppose I’ll never know now.

Regardless- this tower has since resurfaced in present times- a structure made entirely out of ice! The Thalmor were investigating it just the same as I was- for different reasons, however. They wanted some insane power- I simply wanted to see what was in there that could anger a dragon to sinking it.

As it turns out- a set of armor that was worn by Talos himself! Interesting- but nothing I could keep. The fragments were transformed into a necklace once I’d put them all together. As far as a Nordic Proving Ground, this tower was quite impressive. I doubt I could have solved this earlier on in my journeying- I needed three whole shouts which I wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

Cleverly- but a tad too late to be of any use to me- were three maps at the end of each trial, marking where I could learn the words for each shout used in that trial. It took me a while to figure that was what it was, but the markers made no sense otherwise! High Hrothgar was marked solely for the Clear Skies Shout. Quite clever, the Greybeards who made this tower. Quite clever indeed.

* * *

 

Having recently finished up with some Thieves’ Guild business, I’ve encountered a strange blue box. Bigger on the inside, like the Haven bag, though it can move on its own! Traveling in it is quite chaotic to say the least. I’ve traveled around Skyrim with it for the time being, and have found it to be a decent way of traveling when it works out the way I wish it to.

That said, I’ve encounters several troubling situations due to it. During a Dark Brotherhood assignment to Markarth, it seems that I landed the box on someone- I can’t figure out why the guards attacked me as much as they did otherwise, even after paying off my Bounty! Sigh! I had to rewind to undo the damages. A better part of a day, lost to that folly.

In the process, however, I encountered a Khajiit caravan heading to their homelands. Using this Blue Box, I think I can mark a location in Elsweyr, and use that box to return to Skyrim and back again as a travel point. I do believe that it’s time to begin expanding my reaches to the World at Large. First Skryim- Then Solsthime/Morrowind- And soon: Elsweyr.

That said, I also need to let my brother know about my plans so he doesn’t have to worry. Once I get a decent foothold in other places, I may be able to form a force to invade the Aldmeri Dominion’s base of operations, if I am lucky. But that will be far into the future. We shall see what I can do in the mean time.


	14. The Bloody noses of Black mail Eaters

In Traveling to Elswyr, I’ve gotten embroiled in small skirmishes against the Thalmor. Not all Khajiit are happy to be under their thumb, and one group, the New Elswyr Movement, has been running a campaign to fight against the Thalmor.

The Dominion is becoming resourceful, however. This Justi-whats-his-face has command of airships. I shudder to think what would happen if the Dominion decided to employ these against Skyrim. That said- my escapades have led to two air-ships being captured by the local Khajiit.

Justi-whats-his-face is now dead, killed when he decided to ram his airship into ours. I slayed him personally in his own quarters. The Coward was too scared to join the raiding party.

That said- I believe this has been a successful branching of my adventures. The Blue Box will keep travel between the parts of the continent quick and easy. Next on my agenda, I’ll continue to investigate the Thalmor presence in Elswyr, and see if I can’t flush the rest out. If Skyrim and Elswyr can both throw the Thalmor off their shoulders, that will give the rest of Tamriel hope for the future.

* * *

 

One final task to clear up in Elswyr before I headed back to Skyrim: A massive beast that’s blackmailing the local Khajiit into feeding it. Quite the beast he was, Malsato or Malato something, huge and big and fat. Good grief. He wanted me to bring him food constantly… So I did. Poisoned Meat so we could lower his magical defenses and track down the infected raptor he was threatening everyone with should he not be fed.

Then I made him explode.

After that, I returned to Skyrim- found the oddest thing near Ivarstead. A Chicken Necromancer and his shrine.

Yes, you read that right.

A necromancer resurrecting chickens.

After dispatching his demon birds, I found a fort just recently overrun by bandits- it’s owner freshly evicted rather than killed. Big mistake, it seems. I cleared the bandits out at the request of the owner. After that, I found a ransacked Chapel of Stendarr. A griefstricken Vampire couple had attacked it after their family had been killed for simply existing. That poor man. The handwriting in his journal was so shaky…

Presently, I’m waiting for Ulfric to give me permission to investigate some Thalmor rumors through a gate on the border of Skyrim. The guards refuse to open it without his permission. In the meantime- I’ve found an interesting sword…Apparently it’s named “Elucidator.” I’m presently wondering what I should enchant it with at this point, if anything at all. Oh, wait, there’s the Jarl now.

* * *

 

## ETHEREAL DRAGON

The rumors of Thalmor burning down a village turned out to be false- It was a Dragon instead that did it. I shouldn’t have assumed. At any rate- I slayed the Dragon that was terrorizing the border town. It was an odd one that. Ghost like. Ethereal. I could see through it. It also got stuck in the wall. So it was not solid all the way through. Easier to kill with it stuck in the rock, however. It seemed that a Dragon Priest was resurrecting it using a Daedric bow as its power source. I’ve since broken the bow in learning it’s enchantment, which should prevent such a thing from happening again.

Or that was what I hoped, anyways. Since then I’ve come across no less than four dragons that have been nearly impossible to kill. On some of them, I swear that it was a lucky hit that took them out, on the most recent ones, however, I am fairly certain that it was my whispering of wanting them dead that finally managed to put in the killing blow… That said, however, I’ve delved into smiting using the bones and scales from these dragons.

I Now have a complete set of Dragon bone weapons and Dragon Scale and Plate armor. I’ve even used the enchantments from various objects I’ve found along the road during my travels. I’ve also found some rather curious objects as well, but at the moment, I don’t quite care to catalog them all. The Blue Box has been rearranging itself as of late. I’m hopeful that it will stop relatively soon, otherwise I may lose track of where I’ve kept some things.

At any rate- I must get some rest. These last few fights have been terribly tiring on me.

* * *

## Sea of Ghosts

I now have two “Faithful” Dwemmer constructs accompanying me from Solsthime along side a dog. Poor boy, his master died outside of Solitude in his own bed. The blue box has also changed it’s interior design once more, however, I do like this new ‘theme’ of blue rocks much nicer than the College masonry.

In other news- I’ve hired a boat and its crew to take me sailing across the Sea of Ghosts in search of some Dwemmer Ruins I’ve heard rumors of. I’ve found one set thus far- but it’s not what I’ve been looking for. This tower on an island out in the middle of nowhere seems to like to turn invisible- leaving its interior surfaces seemingly floating in mid-air. It’s walls are there, of course- very solid- very real- just invisible.

Also, I’ve purchased yet another house- this one however is unique in that I need the boat crew to get to it. I’m thinking of moving the Tower in Dawnstar over to it, but I’m not sure if that’d be wise or not. What if I return and there is no boat to take me back to the mainland? QUite the predicament, I suppose.

In my search for this tower- I’ve stumbled across a frozen island village that had been wiped out by a troll. The only living things left there were ice wolves besides the Troll- which I suspect is a member of the same family of the one that formerly inhabited the Dawnstar Sanctuary. Elsewhere- I found Telvani ruins that had been investigated by wizards, and ended up slain by Argonian Agents. Flushing out that entire ruin dropped me off in the middle of nowhere yet again. If there hadn’t been a crazed hermit there with a boat, I might very-well have been trapped without the box or any of my teleportation methods.

Speaking of the box- it has occurred to me just recently that I may be able to use the box to escape from the Black Books should I become ‘trapped’ within them as I have in the past. This gives me an incentive to clear out these books of their knowledge- however, I don’t see any real reason that I would want to go through the books, but the simple fact of the matter is that it is very annoying having to lug them around with me all the time.

That’s all for now, I suppose.

* * *

 

## MZARK

Found the tower I’d been searching for- an entire Dwemmer research facility owned by a man named Mzark. He was a man ahead of his time, I’m quite surprised. Ran experiments into creating more smaller centurions and hard light technology. “Holograms” they’re called. This Mzark was quite something I’ll say that. He made “Artificial Intelligence” programs stored inside cubes. There were four in total…

MZ, AR, KA, and I-2.

I had to go through quite dangerous ruins just to find these four and return them to their central hub. Hard Light- An assembly factory- a Submarine bay- Each with their own time of Holographic Guardian. Red could be extinguished with water dousing their projectors, Greens could be shoved into the water, Yellows had projectors that could be destroyed… But I never figured out the White ones. They just sort of…vanished all on their own, although Bloodskall did manage to deal damage to some of them.

Regardless…I gained access to Mzark’s vault after dealing with the last of the whites- one of Mzark’s twisted constructs. The poor man was locked inside his own treasure room, along with a suit of armor that allowed teleportation back into the fault. Quite a problem for the man, I’m afraid. He died. Long before any of the Dwemmer vanished from the world.

Poor Mzark.

* * *

 

## Sanctuary Lost

I investigated the old Werewolf sanctuary earlier today, just west of the old Brotherhood sanctuary. Saddest thing to see it as it is. Brief as my time was in the Falkreath Brotherhood, I still heard good things about it from Astrid’s husband.

A Silver Hand came through recently, I’m assuming sometime after the Brotherhood sanctuary was burned otherwise I would have heard of this sooner. The abandoned orders made mention of someone from the Companions having fled here, and that they should be killed and burned. And the library….! Such a shame to see it in that state. I myself am not a werewolf, but I felt rage at the discovery.

During my recent travels, I stumbled upon a Sorcerer’s tower. I still struggle to unlock the so called ‘treasure’ that lays behind a magical ward. However, at this point of time, I can’t just allow it to sit undisturbed for some unprepared adventurer to stumble upon like has happened already. While I searched for the third of three rings, I visited the Temple of Dibella in Markarth on a whim- and interrupted a scrying ceremony for the new Sybil. As ‘punishment’ they sent me to go get the girl from the nearby town of Krathwasten. As it turned out, she had been kidnapped by forsworn.

In the process of tracking the forsworn down, I ran into a Silver Hand outpost. I decided to take revenge by practicing with a newly discovered sword- The Infinity Sword. Quite precarious to use- I nearly would have set myself on fire had the sword not been enchanted to protect it’s wielders. Also my way towards rescuing the future Sybil- I stumbled upon a shrine to yet another Daedric prince. This one offering me a shield for clearing out a den of Afflicted Bretons and their wayward ‘keeper.’ As this place has given me some trouble in the past- I decided to humor the Daedra in order to flush it out.

Goodness- I shudder at the thought of what might have happened to me in the past had I not taken this Daedra up on the offer. These Afflicted were quite numerous- and quite vicious! I killed those who attacked on sight and spared those who had no interest in my presence. In the end, I faced their keeper and- By Oblivion!- was he an insane one.

He was teleporting all over the room when I appeared to confront him- more so than that one Draugr who used teleporting as a shuffle game of chance. I don’t know how I would have defeated this “Keeper” without the Infinity Sword. I was able to use it’s explosive flinging powers to target the man as he tried to shoot me with ice spikes as he blinked around the room. It was quite blind chance whenever I managed to actually hit him with the sword itself.

In the end- I’ve rescued the girl- and I feel that at least there is some small justice in the world at this moment.


	15. Returning to the Wyrm's Fang

I investigated the old Werewolf sanctuary earlier today, just west of the old Brotherhood sanctuary. Saddest thing to see it as it is. Brief as my time was in the Falkreath Brotherhood, I still heard good things about it from Astrid’s husband.

A Silver Hand came through recently, I’m assuming sometime after the Brotherhood sanctuary was burned otherwise I would have heard of this sooner. The abandoned orders made mention of someone from the Companions having fled here, and that they should be killed and burned. And the library….! Such a shame to see it in that state. I myself am not a werewolf, but I felt rage at the discovery.

During my recent travels, I stumbled upon a Sorcerer’s tower. I still struggle to unlock the so called ‘treasure’ that lays behind a magical ward. However, at this point of time, I can’t just allow it to sit undisturbed for some unprepared adventurer to stumble upon like has happened already. While I searched for the third of three rings, I visited the Temple of Dibella in Markarth on a whim- and interrupted a scrying ceremony for the new Sybil. As ‘punishment’ they sent me to go get the girl from the nearby town of Krathwasten. As it turned out, she had been kidnapped by forsworn.

In the process of tracking the forsworn down, I ran into a Silver Hand outpost. I decided to take revenge by practicing with a newly discovered sword- The Infinity Sword. Quite precarious to use- I nearly would have set myself on fire had the sword not been enchanted to protect it’s wielders. Also my way towards rescuing the future Sybil- I stumbled upon a shrine to yet another Daedric prince. This one offering me a shield for clearing out a den of Afflicted Bretons and their wayward ‘keeper.’ As this place has given me some trouble in the past- I decided to humor the Daedra in order to flush it out.

Goodness- I shudder at the thought of what might have happened to me in the past had I not taken this Daedra up on the offer. These Afflicted were quite numerous- and quite vicious! I killed those who attacked on sight and spared those who had no interest in my presence. In the end, I faced their keeper and- By Oblivion!- was he an insane one.

He was teleporting all over the room when I appeared to confront him- more so than that one Draugr who used teleporting as a shuffle game of chance. I don’t know how I would have defeated this “Keeper” without the Infinity Sword. I was able to use it’s explosive flinging powers to target the man as he tried to shoot me with ice spikes as he blinked around the room. It was quite blind chance whenever I managed to actually hit him with the sword itself.

In the end- I’ve rescued the girl- and I feel that at least there is some small justice in the world at this moment.

* * *

 

I had to return to Skyrim suddenly due to a Dawnguard messenger telling me that someone I knew had been kidnapped by vampires. I have my suspicions at the moment, having not recognized the messenger, but I won’t dwell on them for the moment as I did confirm the messenger request at Ft. Dawnguard later on. But I digress. On my way to the cave where the Vampires had stolen this acquaintance of mine (I suppose it’s telling that she was in beggars clothes rather than the normal clothes I’d found the last kidnapee in?), I stumbled upon a dragon that could cloak itself, in around the same area that I had previously encountered a completely invisible dragon.

Just like the last one- this one was bloody difficult to kill, and twice as powerful! Even Odahviing was having trouble with him! The only spells that seemed to have any effect were lightning or shock spells. Curiously, I found a book within its skeleton- a spell tome marked with a ban mark from the Psijic order! It was a summon’s spell for the dragon I had just defeated! Very curious, but unimportant for the moment. I rescued my acquaintance from the vampires…who seemed to have cast a spell on the rocks on the floor, making them all float strangely in the air!

Chasing on a hunch, I asked Farengar about the dragon I’d encountered, along with the spell tome, and he provided me with a letter someone had sent to him, requesting his presence at Labyrinthian. What followed from that letter sent me all over Skyrim’s northern half hunting down rogue mages who had summoned deadly dragons who had little care about who they attacked. I found two camps, Imperial and Stormcloak respectively, being attacked by the dragons who…let me just say…were about as hard to kill as the others. They each carried summons or magic spell tomes.  
.  
I’ve dealt with the order of Mages- the head of whom managed to transform himself INTO a dragon! – and as soon as I am done writing here, I will go hunt down the remaining summoned dragons who I might have missed thus far. Don’t expect any entry on progress, though, Journal. I doubt I’ll have time for that. After that, I am going to follow my last nagging hunch and track down the Dawnguard courier. I have a hunch she might not be all she claimed to be.

* * *

 

## Sneak Thief

I suppose I shouldn’t have listened to my Brother and left the three Elder Scrolls on display like I did. A “sign of the Brotherhood’s return to power,” even Nazir agreed.

In the end, it’s none of our faults but my own for insisting on having a secret entrance put in beyond the main door.

A young Bosmer Girl broke into the Dawnstar Sanctuary last night. She read all three Elder Scrolls at once. I don’t need to tell you, dear journal, why that’s a bad idea. Presently, she’s lying in the master bed, unconscious, muttering fearfully as her body shakes every second. She’s running a fever, too.

I don’t know how she knew about the Elder Scrolls, or the secret entrance, or even who this child is. I’m running an investigation into the towns and villages to see if anyone knows her, but so far… She’s not from Dawnstar, I can confirm that much, nor Riverwood either. Markarth is set in battle with the Forsworn and a small faction of the Thalmor at the moment, so I cannot check there presently, although I am pleased to report that one of the rather over-powered dragons those fools I last mentioned tried summoning has been razing the Thalmor something fierce.

It’s almost comical, in a way. I’m sure I’d have enjoyed the sight more if not for more pressing matters. I’ve spoken with the Moth Priest at Ft. Dawnguard, and he’s quite surprised that the girl isn’t **dead**. He’s insisted once more on taking the Elder Scrolls off of my hands, but I’m…hesitant. Something tells me that this Wood Elf and the Scrolls are connected somehow. Tomorrow I’ll be climbing to The Throat of The World and speaking with ol’ Parthy on this. As for now? I’ve safely stowed the Scrolls away inside the Bigger-On-The-Inside Box. There’s nowhere safer for them that I can think of right now. I’ve even gone to the trouble of summoning it inside of itself, and then escaping with the Ring of Return. I’ll be able to call it back should I need the Scrolls again.

Serana is concerned that the girl might be a sign of trouble, given the last time those three Scrolls were read at once was during our escapades trying to stop her Father from blotting out the sun. I’m equally concerned as well. It occurs to me now that this girl had so easily broken in speaks of Nocturnal’s influence, and that of the Skeleton Key. After I’ve spoken with Parthy, I’ll be taking a trip down to Riften and the Thieves Guild, then I’ll see what my fellow Nightingales have to say on the matter.

What concerns me is that the girl went and read the Scrolls here in the Sanctuary rather than taking them out. We never would have known she was here had she not done that and collapsed on the floor. What was so important that this girl risk her own life in such a way?

* * *

 

## Of Scrolls and Time

I went about my travels a bit differently, than planned…and perhaps that was a good thing.

In speaking with my fellow thieves, none know how this could have happened, considering that the Skeleton key is still locked away safely. I did, however, run into Aventus on my way into the city. He said he was on his way to come look for me given that a fellow orphan in Honorhall had gone missing. Curious, I brought up the species name “Bosmer” and he reacted as I feared he would. Apparently, rumors of my exploits of gathering three Elder Scrolls had even reached Honorhall Orphanage, and when Aventus had said to the Bosmer girl, whose name she refused to give to anyone, even the guards who had brought her in off of the road, alone and walking silently in rags that had seen better days, that he knew me personally…

It was an inevitability that this girl would try to come looking for me, it seems. Reluctantly, I brought Aventus with me back to the Dawnstar Sanctuary to confirm the girl’s identity. Does it even need to be written that it was her? As if the Universe would be so forgiving for there to be a different Bosmer girl running around looking for the Scrolls.

What her ties are to the Elder Scrolls I do not know, and neither does Aventus. He claims the girl perked up from her long silence at someone mentioning the Scrolls, and begged to know more about them. I left Aventus in the Sactuary with my brother and Babette to keep an eye on the girl, as we don’t want to risk moving her back to Riften yet, while I went to speak to Parthy. Traveling to the Throat of the World was as laborious as always, but Parthy’s information was worth the trip.  
Curiously, at around the same time as the girl read the scrolls, the Tear in Time had flared up widely, much to Parthy’s surprise. He observed it for a few minutes until it closed back down to normal levels. He had debated sending Ohdaving to come inform me of the events, but decided against it, figuring that whatever had caused it may bring me up that way eventually. Seems he was right, it’s only been two days since then, and I’ve mostly been out about traveling on foot and Waygate travel.

Parthy went on to say that the feeling he got from the rift was nearly identical to the time I read the first Scroll to learn Dragonrend… So whatever this Bosmer girl saw, it was an event from the past, much as I saw. ‘Closer to the present’, though, Parthy said, than what I had seen before, although by what margin he could not tell. He’s requested that when the girl wakes up that I am to bring her up to see the rift along with the Elder Scrolls. Such a request surprised me! Parthy’s not known for seeking the company of others… But, he reasons, if this Girl has something special about her like I did- a fate that allowed me and may allow her to read the Scrolls without permanent damage…

There may be something in the past that needs to be revealed to the Present.


	16. The End and the Beginning

My Apologies for not writing in this journal for some time. We here at the Brotherhood Sanctuary have been busy writing down the visions of the distant past and the effects they've had on the future.

  
After we arrived at the Throat of the World, even we could see what this girl saw- for the rift in time opened wide and we saw _changes_.   
History changing and repeating and becoming the same, and yet different. The Chains of Coldharbour dropped by Molag Bal and his servants and everything else in between. We saw tales of those whose souls were stolen- and a story of those who fought to regain their precious souls from that thief.

The visions come freely now, even when we are not at the throat of the world. Parthy himself shudders at the implications. Brother, however, has seen things different than those of the past. He saw a life where he went to claim the swords father sought so long ago... and he became Dragonborn instead. His alternate self's adventures went so differently from mine, or so he claims. Parthy fears that something cataclysmic may happen soon- there is potential for another Dragonbreak.  
  
As of last week, an Elder Scroll cried out through a new rift in time- small, weak, and barely there... At the portal to Sovrengard. Skuldafn's ruined temples. Odahving and I went to investigate, and it was there we had yet another vision... this time of a divergence in history. But not just a vision, a visitor as well.

In the past, where a young Breton girl- a werewolf- fought another- a Khajiit- for possession of the very Elder Scroll that had landed in our custody, another, older Breton woman tackled and intervened where she failed to in the other world we witnessed in vision... In exchange, she was banished into the far flung future, our far flung future, creating the very present we now inhabited.   
  
In that other world that we saw in vision, however, the younger girl was lost to time and space instead. Where she ended up, we have some small clue, thanks to this Elder Scroll. A world, similar to ours, that diverged drastically thanks to the girl's absence. Beyond that, we've yet to learn anything.  
  
We've asked our curious Bosmeri seer, and she revealed to us that she was descended from two Bosmer who were close friends with the girl who did not disappear in our version of events. The family name she said sounded vaguely, curiously, familiar to both my and my brother's own, but different. The Breton woman, who wished to remain unnamed in this journal, regarded the name fondly, however, and regretted not being there for her long lost friends.

Family doesn't change, regardless of race or time.  
  
I write this journal entry now, some three odd years after first arriving in Skyrim. This, oddly, seems an auspicious time to end this particular volume. It has gotten quite full, but the stories we're now learning of the past remain to be written so that we can truly understand their effects on the future. 

We now have four Elder Scrolls to use to power our research into this event. If Parthy is right, and there is to be a Dragonbreak, it is most likely centered on the events of the other world that the younger Breton girl was lost to. The fact that my brother now sees visions of his other self lends credit to the theory that we may meet in a drastic upheaval of multiple timelines. We... I... Whatever may happen, I am sure that it will be recorded down in some manner for historians to dissect and pull apart to figure out what in Oblivion happened.   
  
I will do my best to play historian, should it come down to that. Until then, keep your eyes on the sky, Travelers.  
  
_Calliope


End file.
